mysunwolf lambing 2016

Thanks norse, goatgurl, and bon! We are so thrilled! And @bonbean01, I know you have some beautiful black and whites over there... I think instead you should just send some of them over here so Dru can have some company! And @goatgurl, I always refer to Cheviots at "the bunny sheep" because their ears are just so perky. I am so curious to see what they look like as adults.

Today I found Helena going into labor at 11:00am, so called all the sheep to the barn and popped her into a jug. Then I kicked all the other sheep out and went to do some chores while I gave Helena an hour to try lambing on her own. I checked on her at 11:30 and she had already birthed a big single white ewe lamb Helena is about 13 months old and doing amazing for a first timer, licked off the lamb, nickering at her, and letting her nurse. We're hoping she passes the placenta soon. The lamb is walking on her pasterns right now so we're going to give 1/4cc Bo-Se and hope she perks up once she gets to walking around instead of being all squished in a womb.

Here are some bad photos of Helena and her lamb (the lighting in the barn stinks):

AWW! CUTE!! Congrats!! Glad both Momma and baby are doing well!

Lambs are SO adorable. Dru knew when to have her babies. What cute little lambs.

Congrats!!! Nice big looking lamb

Okay, we knew this was coming, but it still breaks my heart Cow was due today, saw some signs of possible labor so put her up in the barn this morning. Had to run some furniture over to the in laws, so checked on Cow before we left and of course no progress, not in labor. We're gone for a few hours, come back, and Cow has had brown spotted twins, one boy up and trying to nurse, one girl dead in the amniotic fluid. Cow is the sheep I really wanted a ewe lamb from, of course. I do what I can trying to revive the ewe lamb but she has clearly been dead a while. She either came out second and momma forgot to lick her, or she breathed fluid as she was coming out and so momma didn't lick her as she knew she was dead. Cow is a first-time mom so we expected that something might happen. And Cow's twin died in a similar way when she was a lamb. But I am still kicking myself that I somehow managed to miss the birth, AGAIN. And feel like if I had been here I could have saved her. Ugh. This sheep thing is hard. I hate getting so attached.

The little ram lamb that is alive has found the teats and is nursing. Cow has a little too much milk so I may have to help milk her out for a few days, one side of her bag is pretty swollen. I am somewhere between and .

I'm so sorry Even if you were there you may not have been able to do anything... little comfort but glad the little ram is doing well, and I'll wish for twin ewes for her for next year.

And I agree, getting attached can be very hard

Sorry to hear about the loss. It is so hard when you miss it. Don't beat yourself up though. The herd females have a behavior that is quite confounding. They don't realize that it's a bad idea sometimes, silly girls. With goats, we call it doe code and I guess with sheep it's ewe code. Have the kids/lambs when no one is looking. You have to watch them like a hawk and they still manage to slip one by you.

Sorry for your loss @mysunwolf! I agree with Norseofcourse and Queen Mum... don't beat yourself up about it! You checked on her and she wasn't in labor... you did what you could! And like Queen Mum said, I've read many times when the mom has had her babies when the human wasn't around, even though you're keeping a close eye on her!

Thank you all, it's amazing to have people who understand the ups and downs of sheep! I am still not sure exactly what happened and still haven't found the afterbirth but I think I'm going to give Cow and myself a break since it was both of our first times. A little worried about her but she has always been a mellow sheep so not sure how calm is too calm. Cow is being an okay mom. The little ram lamb sort of mewls instead of baaing, which is a little weird for everyone involved and confusing for Cow. I am not too sure she remembers him most of the time, and he acts spacey. His belly if full though, and I have seen him nurse quite a few times. He's really beautiful. Got to get some pics!

Um, uh, the afterbirth, she probably ate it. They usually do. Pics, pics, pics! We like pics. And as for spacey, he probably is spacey from all that extra milk!