Seems to happen to me every year.....not the drowning, that's a horrible first, but deaths due to all manner of diseases and quirks of fate.
I try to eliminate that which is preventable (getting rid of ewes who prolapse etc) and something else comes along.
lost 3 litters within a few days of birth now this litter at 4 and 6 weeks... sucks.
Sorry to hear your news, promiseacres,it hurts such a lot..... I hope things get better for you.
On a brighter note of me, the un-hoped for DOES happen. My ewe with the retained placenta is fit and fine (albeit skinny and lamb-less) after the vet manually removed her placenta. My old ewe who should never have survived after pneumonia which rendered her unconscious for 2 days, her lambs dying inside her and having to have the decomposing bodies removed by the vet, is also still with us. She did not stand for well over 2 and a half weeks, being maintained on energy drinks via the drench gun and turned from side to side to prevent pressure sores. About a week ago we tried to stand her, with her legs immediately backing. One rat course of the week she progressed from this state, to standing between the two of us, then standing for a few seconds, then standing for a few minutes after getting her up, to getting up and walking unaided. She looks dreadful, is very 'puffy' on walking , but continues to slowly improve.....that is something of a miracle.
Lastly my second young ewe who collapsed with pneumonia on the field and had to be brought down unceremoniously in our huge wheelbarrow has shown exceptional resilience. She was unable to stand for a day or two, but responded well to antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. She rejoined the flock after 3 days. Yesterday I went down to the sheep shed to find she had produced twin ewe lambs unaided (her first time), and they are live and well to date.
"with stock comes trouble, and ah know from experience that trouble allus comes in cyclones."
Oh, how true these words are. Locally "If you have livestock, you have deadstock' are the perceived words of wisdom.
I often wonder why we put ourselves through this!