[melholly]

Morning,


Just thought I'd share the mornings events with people who understand. Only got 6 Ewes, all expecting imminently. Minty goes into labour about 7am. She's a second timer, delivered cracking twins last year. Moved her into barn stayed with her till 10am. She's handling things ok - fairly chilled. Came up to the house for a wash and drink and get back down there 10:40 - shes lying down and I see a really large 'sac' then a teeny lamb wriggling away with membrane round its head. Minty looking decidedly knackered/shocked. I dived over, cleaned airways and shoved it under Mum then discovered in that large sac which was intact a really big lamb - dead (guessing drowned/suffocated?) Perfect in formation and much bigger - though not out of proportion, than the live one. Minty bled quite a bit - more than I've seen a ewe bleed but it's dried up and shes standing doing all the Mum things, lamb is feeding already.


Don't know, hardened quite a bit thesedays to deadstock but it still seemed such a shame and beating myself up a bit that I couldn't save it. I did towel rub it, windmill it to try and get air into lungs but nothing...


Oh well, 5 more dramas to experience
x

[ZaktheLad]

   Hope your remaining ewes lamb without any dramas.  Very sorry to hear about the loss of this first lamb though - a real shame but these things do happen unfortunately.   

[Rosemary]

  I'm sure the rest will be fine. You can't be there all the time - and she has one lamb to rear, which is good for her.

[melholly]

Thank you! Mum and lamb are ok - very quiet other than little bleatings to each other, lying snuggled together. Both just seem knackered, poor Mintys still in shock I think - I wonder if she knew she had another?


Wonder who's next!
x

[waterbuffalofarmer]

We are currently in the middle of lambing and have a lot more lambs this year than in past years.
I think that it is because we moved them from another lot of land  to our farm. We think that the fox was probably getting half of our lambs, however we seem to be getting tons of lambs, mostly twins and singles. We have had 3 sheep give triplets, which means adopting the lambs onto mothers with singles.
I hope lambing is going well with everyone.
Thanks