Baymule’s 2026 Lambing + December 2025

SageHill said:
Ohhh, I'm so sorry you lost the lambs and the ewes. OUCH. Are you going to keep anyone to replace any of the others? It's never good to lose them like that - but you do have the chance to keep replacements.
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I have marked 17 ewe lambs to keep. After weaning I will make another selection, cull those that don’t make the cut.

fuzzi said:
Was it the worms that killed the ewes?
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Yes. And I had wormed them several times. A friend pointed out that I don’t want those genetics in the flock. She’s right but it still doesn’t make it easier.

Most of my ewes are very worm resistant. I’ve culled for 10 years for parasite resistance. Nature culled out the weak.
 
Baymule said:
Yes. And I had wormed them several times. A friend pointed out that I don’t want those genetics in the flock. She’s right but it still doesn’t make it easier.

Most of my ewes are very worm resistant. I’ve culled for 10 years for parasite resistance. Nature culled out the weak.
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I'm still sorry. I went back and found photos of the ewes you lost. :(

Are their lambs okay?
 
fuzzi said:
I'm still sorry. I went back and found photos of the ewes you lost. :(

Are their lambs okay?
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I lost 3 lambs. Daisy's lamb was 5 weeks old when she died, so I just left him "out there". He's a white ram lamb, I'd have to catch ALL of the white lambs to even find him. I saw a white lamb stealing milk off a ewe that I know didn't have a white lamb yesterday, figured that must be him. Granny's lamb Avon, I grabbed her pretty quick, just waited for a white ewe lamb to nudge Granny. I put Avon with her sister Mabelline and Tinkerbelle. 2 of the 3 lambs died because they never would take a bottle. I force fed them, but they fought it all the way and just never thrived. I have 2 wethered lambs, one I had to force feed and he finally caught on. Avon had to be force fed for about a week and she caught on.

My son feeds the ewes in the front field and pens them in the small night pen. Then he puts out feed for the lambs in the big night pen and doesn't let the ewes out until the lambs are no longer interested. Not a creep feeder, but it's working.

The 2 boy bottle lambs are eating feed, hay and alfalfa. The 3 girl lambs scream for more milk, nibble feed, hay and alfalfa. Their one 16 ounce bottle gets cut today to 8 ounces until the formula is gone. I've got a full gallon and less than half of a gallon.
 
Big Girl had twin ewes today. One was licked clean, dry and fluffy and a tummy full of milk. The other one had one toe sticking out, upside down-breech. I lured Big Girl to a jug dangling her baby in front of her. I had a halter, rope and baggie of feed. Layne came up at that moment and he held her. I pushed the leg back in, found the other one, straightened it, got the first one, straightened it and pulled. Big Girl liked none of this. The lamb slid out, alive!

Time had elapsed between lamb #1 and lamb #2. Big Girl wasn’t sure about the second lamb. I put halter and rope on her, plopped down in the hay, poop, birth goop and started getting #2 to stand up. It always takes a little bit for wobbly bobblies to stand, nuzzle everywhere but the teats, fall down and get back up to try again. Big Girl took a few licks on #2, really not sure about this goopy thing. She finally latched on and sucked. I just sat there, making sure she got enough and Big Girl licked on her, finally getting a glimmer that she was responsible for #2.
Layne brought feed and greed wins over maternal instincts. Then he gave her hay and she was one happy ewe. #2 sucked some more milk. They are all fine.
Big Girl is registered, she just added 2 more ewes to the registered flock.

IMG_0823.jpeg
 
Baymule said:
Big Girl had twin ewes today. One was licked clean, dry and fluffy and a tummy full of milk. The other one had one toe sticking out, upside down-breech. I lured Big Girl to a jug dangling her baby in front of her. I had a halter, rope and baggie of feed. Layne came up at that moment and he held her. I pushed the leg back in, found the other one, straightened it, got the first one, straightened it and pulled. Big Girl liked none of this. The lamb slid out, alive!

Time had elapsed between lamb #1 and lamb #2. Big Girl wasn’t sure about the second lamb. I put halter and rope on her, plopped down in the hay, poop, birth goop and started getting #2 to stand up. It always takes a little bit for wobbly bobblies to stand, nuzzle everywhere but the teats, fall down and get back up to try again. Big Girl took a few licks on #2, really not sure about this goopy thing. She finally latched on and sucked. I just sat there, making sure she got enough and Big Girl licked on her, finally getting a glimmer that she was responsible for #2.
Layne brought feed and greed wins over maternal instincts. Then he gave her hay and she was one happy ewe. #2 sucked some more milk. They are all fine.
Big Girl is registered, she just added 2 more ewes to the registered flock.

View attachment 126074
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Congrats and kudos on a job well done!!
 
Mini Horses said:
:celebrate :weee:celebrate:clap registered ewes!!

Way to go...good save!! Guess you're feeling better.

Does Layne want to be a Shepard yet? :hide
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He says he doesn't like sheep. But he fed those bottle babies, even sitting on a milk crate holding one to make sure that he finished his bottle. He locks the ewes in the small night pen when he feeds them, then puts out feed for the lambs. Some lambs go in the small pen and go down the row, stealing milk, some stay out in the big night pen for the feed. He makes sure that the lambs have eaten all they want before he lets the SHARKS out. He tells me how much hay they have left and he'll set another bale for them. He's taking such good care of them, but says he doesn't like sheep. :lol: :lol:
 
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