[Pedwardine]

Had one of those nights with lambing, two new-to-it's, Darby with ewe twins and Dahlia with ewe single(both took an age but no malpresentations), and one experienced girl, Beauty, with two rams and a teeny shivering ewe. We are the walking dead today. We both need sleep SO MUCH but you've just got to keep going haven't you. Getting to that stage when I'm not firing on all cylinders but the end is in sight, five ewes to go and we're done.
I've had so many people tell me that we don't need to put all these hours in, that the sheep will just 'get on with it' but I just KNOW that we'd have certainly lost some lambs if we hadn't been there. We've had about three (what I call sausages) stuck in a tight membrane who would have suffocated if one of us hadn't been there to break in (anyone else had this experience?). Also a breech and a 'one front leg out'. As it is we've lost none of, so far, 47 lambs. I am precious over the younger ewes. Sometimes they don't know what's hit them and they need help to make that first bond but even with the older girls they can have a small hypothermic as Beauty did and you've got to step in or lose the lamb. We'll always have a Walking Dead April. It's just the way it has to be if we want our girls to have the best lambing they can. Adrenaline kicks in when duty calls and we can sleep when we're dead.

[Blinkers]

I Know exactly what you mean - well done you guys, the end is in sight  .    I always look forward to lambing and then about 3/4 way through, especially if they're all a bit slow coming, I get fed up and am desperate to get to the end of it, back to a normal regime and back to some decent sleep........and then when its all done and dusted I think......awwwww...gotta wait a whole year now till the next lot       

[Mammyshaz]

  not long to go now.  Congratulations on your commitment to the girls.  a little picky or two would be nice once you are sorted 

[Pedwardine]

Thanks for the empathy Blinkers  Some pics up already Mammyshaz on 'Gotland Newborns' but more to come I promise.

[Mammyshaz]

Ohh yes,just looked again. They were good  pics 

[Blinkers]

What do you do with the SCRUMMY fleeces    Are you a spinner?

[Pedwardine]

I sell the raw fleeces, all de-bitted. They are a spinner's delight though a tad troublesome to prep, 'specially the washing of, felters delight also!. They are delicious though. Got some if you want one though can it wait a week or so when all babies have popped?    There are more details on the website re colours, staple etc.

[jaykay]

Might be interested in fleece too 

Yes, the walking dead April is pretty standard, but as you say, I am not prepared to risk losing some just cos I was in bed, as far as is humanly possible.

And anyway, as we used to say when much younger and partying all night - you can sleep when you're dead 

[Remy]

No-one can fault your commitment, and it's paid off  .  This is the first year I've lambed them outside and the first year I've had losses - the first was finding a twin Herdwick dead in field and nothing wrong with it, possibly if it had been indoors I could have revived it, as no way would I have been able to get near the ewe outdoors, she is extremely flighty.  The other two were the badly presented large twins and the ewe who had been in labour too long - again, had she been indoors I'd have known when she went into labour and may have been able to save the lambs.  A few lessons learned, but no point in 'what ifs' now!

All the other lambs have arrived with no problems except for the one hypothermic lamb who was barely breathing I had to take indoors to revive - I had to bottle feed him as his mum wouldn't take him back, but he is now suckling for England!

Got one more Charollais who seems to be hanging onto hers then all done!

[Pedwardine]

Not everyone is lucky enough to have covered shelter with lighting & electric sockets for heat lamps, warming box etc. We had to do a bit of a Heath Robinson on ours to fit all the girls in this year, but, still we had it and I'm sure it makes a difference. It's much easier on a shepherd to sit in an armchair in a barn hugging a hot water bottle with a flask of tea and a pack of kitkats listening to Radio4 Extra than braving it outside armed only with a head torch in teeming rain and blasting wind. I love my sheep possibly a little too much and I want to be there for them. I'm sure they must feel better for some human hands available even if they are there only to lick between contractions.

[in the hills]

We lost our first ever lamb ..... dead in the field in a tight bag. Felt so guilty that I hadnt spotted that mum was in labour.  My favourite little ewe too.

Can recognise now when they are close, though some give very little warning. Very few gave any of the signs that I had read about eg. pawing of ground, isolation from flock. One ewe stayed in the middle of everyone butting them out of her way until the last minute!

We only have field shelters to lamb in. Most of the ewes went at the very last minute into one paticular shelter and gave birth in there. All we had to do was close the gates and they stayed in until we were sure they had bonded. It worked quire well but only have 7 ewes and the births were spread out.

Checked them every hour and a half during the day, often a lot more frequently. Have to say I found it quite exhausting, partly nervous energy I think. Only had 7 to lamb ...... cant imagine how you would feel with a bigger flock.I think we may have lost a couple of twins if we had not been there, because as you say they were delivered in their bags. The first time mums were so busy with their first borns that they didnt seem to notice the bag on the floor!

Did wish for a barn when the last twins were born, luckily in the shelter, in the early hours, on a very icy night. Hubbie was away ... so just my ten year old and I with our head torches!

Keep going.  When it was finished, we were a bit sad that it was over!   

[tizaala]

With the market still holding well ( 40 kilo lambs still making £100 localy ) it pays to take that bit of extra care to cut the losses down as much as poss. sometime it can't be helped though. sad when you loose them.

[Pedwardine]

in the hills, sorry to hear about your first lamb. What sheep have you got?
It's 1:30am. Had to call OH out of bed to pin down Damson, an inexperienced ewe in labour. She'd had two waggling feet and a nose showing at around 11:30 and did the laying down/getting up scenario for a while. My next sighting was of two still feet and a nose with a tongue stuck out  . Bugger!! She wouldn't comply with me trying to help, kept getting up and wandering off when my hand got anywhere near her rear. With OH I could get in and cup around the back of the head to help with her contractions. Soon as the head was out we had movement from the small person in the birth canal...PHEW OH sent swiftly back to bed. Number two lamb came whilst I was destickying a toffee bum next door. Multitasking hey! Now all the checks/treatments are done but I've still got to stay up until OH surfaces to give Damson her antibiotic injection after sticking my hand where it was most unwelcome. You need a 'tired yawny face' up there administrator! Just mixing up some colostrum to be on the safe side. I know milk is flowing but she's not sure about opening the bar quite yet 'INSERT YAWNY FACE HERE' 

[MrsJ]

Sorry to hear about your loss In the Hills.  We lambed outside this year but I think we will return to lambing inside next year as we have also lost 3, including finding a newborn dead in the field with bits chewed off.  It's so sad to lose them and you always ask yourself if you could have done more. 

[in the hills]

Pedwardine-They are Soay.

What a night you have had!

Glad mine didnt need any help because it would have been panic stations. Did have a neighbour on call to help if needed though. Would be afraid of intervening and making things worse due to my total inexperience. Luckily all the mums were really good and had no problems with mothering up.

Good job your hubbie was there to help. I was really scared that my last girl to lamb might have problems and hubbie wouldnt be there to help hold her still while I had a look. My neighbour said that you can get restrainers to hold them while you help but they would be no use with our little ewes. He told me to tie her front legs with rope and loop it over her head so that she couldnt run off. Luckily it wasnt needed. Some of my girls eat from our hands and jump up like dogs but this ewe is the most nervous and never comes close. The funny thing was that when we had to go into the shelter with her to break the bag for her second arrival she was really calm and actually walked up to us and nuzzled our hands. It was a lovely moment.  It was as though she knew that we were there to help.

Hope you get some time to rest today.