[norfolk newbies]

Woohoo
So excited and relieved. First time lambers. Read the book (VSSs,) following the forum, but still was still feeling under prepared. Fortunately our gimmer ewe who we were expecting to pop first is either 5 days late or caught second time round, and twins arrived this morning to experienced ewe.
No intervention required ( I missed it and arrived at 6 am to find first lamb looking cold but content and 2nd lamb looking recent and wobbly.

As a) twins and b) lincs lingwool so teats buried in 2 tons fleece and c) freezing here I made up colostrum and manged to squirt some into both as although the lambs were butting in the correct direction the later lamb did not seem to be getting any purchase.

Need not have worried as about 30 mins later both appear to be suckling ( on one side at least). I have iodined cords and will go back and clip mum and test both teats.

Pictures taken ( by over excited children...who have inset day today, fortunately as they would be late to school otherwise). I will post once I have have figured out how to do so.

- 2 gimmer lambs. very happy
Jo

[in the hills]

 

Look forward to pictures

[Rosemary]

  Well done!

[Haylo-peapod]

Fantastic - what a lovely story.
Sounds like you have it all in hand - well done!! 

[norfolk newbies]

piccies attached (hopefully). only one of mums teats appears to be working....am trying to massage etc. Cant see any waxy plug, or feel it.
Update on sex...not two gimmers, but rather one of each. (By 'ec boys bits are tiny..Not looking forwared to the castration bit!!)
Off now to read all the preventing mastitis posts......
Jo

[sabrina]

Well done 

[ZacB]

Congrats to the Norfolk Newbies   

[MrsJ]

Hurrah!  The first is always special.

[norfolk newbies]

Third lamb appeared to a new mum at the very sensible hour of 9pm ( very quick delivery...30 mins after I said to OH, 'she will pop tonight'. However although mum keen to get lamb feeding and started getting agitated after about 2 hours, not joy. As they are long wools I went in with manual clippers to clear a path. Both now doing OK ( after a little help, mum keen but dances back every time lamb latches on ......I know that feeling).

Next ewe due soon....she is the eldest ewe ans one we thought would pop first (on a size basis rather than dates) she is HUGE. Lots of grunting and pawing ( 4 hours worth so far) so I may be back requesting advice if nothing happens soonish (Being patient and having breakfast and getting kids to school......that should work).

Update on twins...both doing OK. I massaged and squeezed the 'not working teat' to no avail, then went and found local farmer who being a bloke I thought would be less empathetic.  He managed to get milk, but agreed it is not as good as it could be. Keeping a watching brief.

Hopefully I will be back with good news on latest arrival, rather than a ton of questions.

Jo

[Tilly]

Excellent news- well done you
Tilly 

[Nell]

Congratulations 

[Mammyshaz]

That great   

[jaykay]

Good news  If there's some milk there, hopefully the lambs will get it going. Sometimes ewes don't let you have much milk out of nervousness and are better once everyone's gone.

Yes, I used to have to 'clear a path" for the lambs through my Rough Fell's fleeces 

[norfolk newbies]

All done for a while. Our expected first ewe still has not dropped, so we will keep her in for another 2 weeks and see if she decides she has a lamb or not.
The twins are both gimmers...the next 2 singles were ram lambs so I had something to compare with. The last ram we thought might be a twin, but were patient and EVENTUALLY the afterbirth appeared ( just before I decided that I might have to intervene.

All drinking well, and starting to bounce. Bouncing started after I cleaned their bums. Wow, I read aboput the toffee and the smell, but nothing actually prepares you for reality. We left them a bit longer than I think we ought to have done and the toffee was pretty impressive by the time we came to sort it out.
pictures of the ram lambs

[Pedwardine]

Fabulous. Well done newbie. The 'toffee' is so horribly descriptive isn't it I've a ram lamb who keeps presenting me with a nice big toffee caramel. Next we progress to toffee caramel and chocolate clusters and finally you get chocolate raisins. Enough to put you off the sweet stuff for life...NOT