I00 to come

Latestarter

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Not a very auspicious beginning I'm afraid... Sorry you've already had to deal with complications. Not something anybody really wants. So, that being said, I certainly hope that's the last of them for the remainder of lambing season for you. Looking forward to pictures of all the beautiful lambs down the road.
 

Sheepshape

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Will Myrtle have colostrum or will her lambs need frozen colostrum?
I'm thinking that all that Myrtle will have ,should her lambs even be born alive, will be mature milk. I do have her colostrum (or what she produced in the first day or so) frozen down, though. If her lambs are alive, then I'll thaw it out for them. I now have many jars of her milk in the freezer and plan to try to give her lambs the best of both worlds (staying with mum and having top up bottles) should they both live.

Myrtle had twin lamb disease last year, got through it with some TLC, had two large lambs easily and went on to wean one whilst I bottle fed the other.I KNOW I shouldn't have kept her.....but she's another pet. She is a thin ewe with a tooth problem who I bought inside 6 weeks ago as I wanted to be sure she maintained her nutrition. She is about the worst candidate for producing milk prior to lambing!. She still doesn't look ready to lamb, is being milked twice a day, and she is being fed all manner of things to maintain her nutrition. She is inside with Sharon who aborted and Amy who is in a full harness for prolapse. As Amy is very fat and prolapsed she has to be kept off the bulky silage, so they all have to be penned in different areas in the shed. I also have to have the chickens indoors as we have bird 'flu in Britain and they have chosen to lay behind the straw bales in Amy's pen....so much juggling about and hurdling up throughout the 24 hours! thankfully the sheep are tame and easy to manage (and bribe with food).

But, back to the original point...I'll try to do 'shared care' with Myrtle. Lambs will suck anything when they are first born, so, if all goes well, the plan will be to let them suckle from Myrtle, then give the bottle and go on this way. I have done this before with my very old girl, Longface whose milk dried up after a week or so. Provided the lambs learn to accept a bottle soon after birth (in sharp contrast to trying to 'teach' a 2-3 week old lamb to take a bottle), then they should be able to stay with mum whilst being adequately fed. Myrtle will still have to be fed extra food, though, I'm sure.

So, I have a plan....not sure it will work, but I do have a plan.

Meanwhile (4:00a.m here),I have checked the girls in the shed.....apart from much grunting, hiccupping and gassy escapes, pretty much quiet. Before anyone feels I'm a complete idiot to get up at this time, well it's just that I'm a poor sleeper and if I'm up I might as well check. Maybe today will be the day.
 

Baymule

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Not a complete idiot, just someone who loves her sheep and takes good care of them. :love
 

ohiogoatgirl

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Before anyone feels I'm a complete idiot

If it makes you feel any better my ewes due date is to watch for lambs starting a week from now (Monday 20th) and I already go out in the morning to feed with a little hope of lamb bleats and want to sprint out after work when I get home.
 

Sheepshape

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arial and family 2.jpg
At last .....lambs. Early this morning......scanned for twins....then I see a hind leg appear. A quick pull to deliver no 3 ( backwards but fine).

First lamb initially weak and needed warming under the lamb lamp. Now in the house and making good use my freezer of frozen ewes' milk .

With apologies for the dirty backdrop....I hadn't had time to clean up.

arial and family 1.jpg


Ariel in front of the stove.
 

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