Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Finally!

After much waiting and watching, Daphne finally had her lambs!

We have had several other lambs born in the past week or so (more pics to come)
 
This one here (below) is Tipsy's baby.  Much can be said about his arrival -"he was huge" "he was stuck" and ... "50 minutes of working and pulling and we have a baby lamb" 
 
I was pretty sure he wouldn't make it.  I had been watching the ewe all day, thinking she was going to start with contractions at any moment.   I left the house for little over an hour in the afternoon and came back to find her grazing with a lambs head hanging out the back side.   She did not seem to be in labor - (though obviously was) but no pushing, complaining, .... just eating. To shorten up the story a bit, the lambs legs were tucked under his body and he didn't seem to be going anywhere.   It was such a great feeling to hear him "baaah" upon freeing him up from the jam he was in. 
 
After several lambing seasons, I am finding that those things that I read about in the books when I was considering sheep -"eventually happen"    Fortunately, they don't all happen at once.
 
Once the lamb was finally out and up and drinking, I went to the house and Jack asked if she was going to have a second.   Hm. ? a second?  I hadn't given it a thought even.  This lamb was so big I didn't even consider there being room in there for another.   There was.   Unfortunately though, the other lamb was not alive.  It appeared to be premature.   ?  .. So tiny and the wool was just short and straight (where they have wool curls when born)  and a few other things that made it seem as though the ewe was possibly bred more than once.  We  had a similar birth before, but fortunately it hasn't been common.   Anyways, this is a picture taken of the lamb the day after he was born.   He is as big as our 2 to 3 week old lambs!
We have several little lambs out there with the spots this year - which is fun, since we have seldom had spotted lambs.  
 
 While quite a few of the ewes have lambed, but there are few that are still expecting. 

 Roxy is next on the list ..

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