Author Topic: thought it was all going too well... (Read 3778 times)

trish.farm · « **on:** March 09, 2015, 11:31:20 am »

pulled a dead lamb out last night, followed by a live twin. This morning he was screaming with hunger and looked like a skeleton! Poor wee thing. My ewe has such a low bag with large teats he is just not getting low enough to feed. Milked off some milk and gave him a bottle (I am rubbish at tubing) then went out 2 hours later and pinned her up against the wall and forcibly stuck him on a teat!! Fed really well and has a full tummy now. Going to have to put him on a teat every few hours until he gets the hang of it!! Not the most accommodating ewe either, really had to work hard not to lose my temper with her!!! Grrrrr!! Never had this problem with her before, think she needs platform shoes to make her taller!!

Me · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2015, 11:51:26 am »

Suckling lambs on ewes is the worst job in sheep farming. It would test the patience of a saint.

Bionic · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2015, 11:52:30 am »

Hopefully he gets the hang of how to do it quickly

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2015, 12:29:59 pm »

Sending soothing vibes, it can be an extremely irritating job - we all know!

But, on the plus side, you have a live lamb with an appetite, a ewe with milk, and he *will* get the hang of it... and when she's annoying you fidgeting and making it all 100 times harder, console yourself with the knowledge that she and her lowslung bag will be on their way down the road once she's reared this wee fella

ZaktheLad · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2015, 01:40:27 pm »

After contending with a ewe for the past few years with a huge cow udder and gigantic teats, I sadly sent her off in October, as just couldn't be having the hassle every year of the lambs being unable to latch on for the first few days. I had to milk her out in to a jug in order for the teats to go back to any resemblance of normal size - was very frustrating.

Hope you new arrival thrives - shame about the first dead lamb, but does sound as if she may have been dead a little while and just not grown in the womb enough to be viable. Sounds like you have coped admirably with a difficult situation though and got stuck in and helped out when necessary

trish.farm · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2015, 02:52:05 pm »

much calmer feeding session this time, I think the ewe was aware of my growing annoyance earlier today and decided to behave!! Took a pair of scissors with me and cut a opening through her fleece to make a pathway to her udder for the lamb!! Wee lamb shouted his head off when he saw me! Lunchtime!! Popped him straight onto teat and he latched on really well, its just finding the teat that's the problem. Must remember to put him on the other side next feed!

trish.farm · « **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2015, 08:55:19 pm »

5oclock feed went like a dream after a stern word with disgruntled ewe. Just been out to give him supper, he rather lazily got up, had a stretch, had a very long pee, then attached himself onto his mum all on his own!! yippee!!! result!!!!

Reckon the hedge trimming around her stifles made a huge difference to locating the teat!!!

Big

Only 1 ewe left to lamb and that's my wee tinkerbell. total lottery as to what she will do!!

ZaktheLad · « **Reply #7 on:** March 09, 2015, 09:14:38 pm »

Brilliant news

suziequeue · « **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2015, 09:22:48 pm »

Aaaaah - the stretch......... Now that's the sign to be looking for

fiestyredhead331 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2015, 12:46:07 am »

it's such a lovely feeling when it goes right isn't it?

we had a ewe who had lost her lamb last year so after much perseverance got her to accept him and let him suckle, aided by the fact he was a greedy sod and used to chase her round the pen