Lambing

Lambing

The first thing I have to say about lambing season is there is never a dull moment. It is both amazing and heartbreaking (I have read that the average lamb mortality rate is 20%). During lambing I try to check them every six hours around the clock. This is also sugaring season, so I am beat! Here's a few of my experiences:

2010- We bought Phoebe & Raquel who were bred, with a due date anywhere from the end of December to end of January. K3 & I watched those ewes closely, they were getting fat and had little udders. For weeks I would get up in the middle of the night to check them. NOTHING!! Turns out they were never pregnant ( I told everyone we were having lambs, so it was embarrassing to have to admit what a novice shepherd I was!). They were older ewes that always have little udders & they were  just well fed & wooly. What a disappointment! So,  in April we bought a ewe and her 3 week old twins. The female was Addison & the male we were just keeping him until he could be weaned than bringing him back. I said we are not naming him or getting attached. I called him Nameless, K1 called him Buddy, and Mark called him Trouble because he kept getting out. The ram that wasn't going to have a name had three!

2011- This year we had five bred ewes! Cloey was a ewe we had bought bred in the fall. We had no idea when she was lambing. Well, late January I  went out in the morning & standing in the snow next to the barn was our white ewe Cloey with her little back lamb with the most unique markings (we have no idea what kind of mutt she is... ) K1 named Anna. 

Anna

Cloey & Anna

2012- This year we had seven ewes that lambed. The hardest one was Myra, she is our wildest sheep! She was a small  ewe with an enormous belly!

When she finally lambed Mark & I were there to assist. Typically, I am the sheep midwife & have watched or  assisted most of our sheep. This day Mark was home. Brandie was also here, excited to watch her first lambing. Myra's lamb was huge in comparison to her tiny body. Mark & I struggled trying to pull that lamb out.  I finally sent K1 up to the house & before she got the call into the vet we finally  got the lamb out, but he wasn't breathing. Mark rubbed him & swung him but nothing happened. As a last attempt he gave "sheep p r ". I told him I could not believe he did that (slimly.. nasty.. lamb), he replied "me either". Bran & I laughed...but the baby did not make it. Then we had to pull baby number two. When we were finally done, poor Myra was swollen & bruises & exhausted. I was up to my elbows in blood & slime. I looked at Bran & said " will you get my hair out of my eyes & pull up my pants (I forgot my belt)." I think this was an experience none of us will forget. The rest of them lambed with no problems. We had lots of fun watching the lambs run around. See for yourself how cute they are.

Peony with Mystic & Dash (I checked the sheep & no one in labor and one hour later I went down & she had lambed). Mystic is short for mystical & Dash is from the movie The Incredibles.

Baby Bliss

Anna with her baby Alyianna  a.k.a. Tiny A

Harley