purplequeenvt Lambing 2016

[purplequeenvt]

2 first-timers lambed this afternoon. They waited for me to get home from work and they both had single white girls.

Rain and her baby, Breeze


April and Sammi Mae


ONE ewe left to go!

 

[promiseacres]

So precious

 

[purplequeenvt]

The final ewe lambed this afternoon. She is also a first-timer and, unlike the other first-timers that we had this year, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with her baby. We left them together for a bit, but she went from ignoring him to actually butting him so he got pulled and is now a bottle baby.

#1626 Europium "Uri"


Snuggling


Lambing is now officially over. Including the fall lambs, there were 32 lambs born - 16 boys and 16 girls. Exactly 50/50.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Lambing is done, but now comes the challenge of keeping everyone healthy. We've had some weird up and down weather the last week or so and as a result we've got some sheep that aren't feeling great.

Rain has been droopy for several weeks, but nothing that we could really put our finger on as the cause. She stopped wanting to feed her baby the day after she was born (still loved her, but wouldn't let her nurse). Then Esme developed mastitis and April started to strain (despite passing the placenta as usual) several days after lambing and then began to prolapse a couple days ago. The vet was out yesterday to take a look at everyone.

Rain has walking pneumonia. Esme has mastitis, but it's already on the mend since it was caught and treatment begun so early. April has somehow managed to twist and invert her cervix with all her straining and will never be able to be bred again. She is stitched up to prevent her from prolapsing. The vet wasn't sure why she was straining. I'm considering pulling her lamb because every time her baby nurses, she starts straining again (oxytocin releases when the udder is milked/nursed). A couple of the lambs have the beginnings of pneumonia (again, I think it's walking pneumonia as opposed to full blown pneumonia). Frustrating, but everyone is on the mend and should recover. Except for April. She will either be sold as a fiber pet or mutton.

Uri the bottle baby got moved out to the barn a lot faster than we normally transition BB, but he was the most annoying BB ever! He never. shut. up. He was warm, he was fed (he ate the cow too!), but he wasn't all soft and snuggly like out usual babies. He's much better out in the barn, but he is a bit lonely. He's not part of any of the lamb groups and the goatlings are snobby and "don't associate with lowly sheep!" so he has to wait until they are napping before he can snuggle with them.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry about the bad stuff. Glad they seem to be on the mend. Cute pile of lambs

 

[norseofcourse]

Wow, I'm so sorry about the problems you've been having Spring weather has been crazy here, too. Sounds like you are on top of treatments, I hope everyone recovers soon, although it's too bad about April