Baymule
Herd Master
Can you foster one of Foxy’s trips on Dobby?
SA Farm's journal
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SA Farm
Herd Master
I literally had a dream a week ago that Dobby lambed first and her lamb was dry and there were no fluids or anything to foster an extra lamb with.
My dream came true, sadly.
I honestly didn’t even try because I didn’t think it would work without fluids to trick her. And I didn’t want to risk her getting confused and rejecting her own lamb or something since she’s a first-timer.
Fortunately, I’ve been working with Dobby since she was a lamb and she’s okay letting me milk her, so I’m planning to just top up the triplets a couple times a day even though Foxy has lots of milk - unlike the last time she had triplets - so they really should do fine without my help.
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I could try that tomorrow morning, maybe.
farmerjan
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When you let them together after a few days (?) you may find that one of the trips will sneak on her when her lamb is eating too...
I was feeding hay today and saw one of my cows with 2 calves on her... and one is definitely NOT hers... Many of our cows will co-feed calves that are not their own... sometimes good, sometimes not... Got one cow that we don't know if she ever calved, since she was out at the pasture where there were all that mixed group...she very well might have had a calf that died, or was born dead or the DA@#ed coyotes got.... yet she is feeding a calf that it's momma died, out there... so, even though she is open, she gets a "super big pass" to get rebred... She is totally blind on one side, eye is shrunk up, been that way for several years... quiet and easy going, you just have to make sure to work her from where she can see you...love that "less than perfect" cow... because she does the perfect job...
I was feeding hay today and saw one of my cows with 2 calves on her... and one is definitely NOT hers... Many of our cows will co-feed calves that are not their own... sometimes good, sometimes not... Got one cow that we don't know if she ever calved, since she was out at the pasture where there were all that mixed group...she very well might have had a calf that died, or was born dead or the DA@#ed coyotes got.... yet she is feeding a calf that it's momma died, out there... so, even though she is open, she gets a "super big pass" to get rebred... She is totally blind on one side, eye is shrunk up, been that way for several years... quiet and easy going, you just have to make sure to work her from where she can see you...love that "less than perfect" cow... because she does the perfect job...
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SA Farm
Herd Master
This would work too. So far I’ve been doing the same thing I did last time Foxy had triplets: milk the one who had a single and feed it to Foxy’s lambs.
So far they seem to be doing really well. I see all three taking turns on mom and I offer them Dobby milk twice a day. Both yesterday morning and this morning they weren’t really hungry, but they took quite a bit last night, so I assume Foxy runs out as the day goes on. In another day or two, I’ll offer them an afternoon top up as well (from frozen Foxy milk).
Dobby’s lamb is super tanky. Like, lifting her is like picking up a solid brick. She’s beautiful and seems to have an independent but friendly/curious personality. Very much like Dobby - her own mini-me.
Dobby is amazing on the stand. She actually moves her legs/squats for me. I’m already milking her with both hands since she just…doesn’t kick. It’s such a dream after spending 2 solid weeks getting Foxy to stop kicking the bleep out of me last year lol
All but the biggest of Foxy’s lambs are super sweet and friendly - even before they started getting bottles. Big girl is just less interested and has been from the start. Curly is the one I pulled, and Tiny, of course, is the smallest and my favourite.
Curly, Tiny, Big from back to front.
Tiny is also the most bottle-proficient. I may consider finding a home for her as a bottle baby around 2 weeks. She’d make a fabulous pet/hobby farm sheep.
You would never know Curly had a rough start. She’s super cute and so sweet
Baymule
Herd Master
Your lambs are adorable. What’s not to love about lambs?
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SA Farm
Herd Master
Well, I don’t have to bottle feed anymore. Now I can milk both moms. The best 2 drinkers of Foxy’s lambs just went to a hobby farm home that was looking for bottle lambs to start their journey with 
Foxy was right to look at me suspiciously lol
The big one (at the back) stays since she really doesn’t want to be a bottle baby. She just gums at the bottle like it’s a foreign object- which to her it is lol
Foxy was right to look at me suspiciously lol
The big one (at the back) stays since she really doesn’t want to be a bottle baby. She just gums at the bottle like it’s a foreign object- which to her it is lol
Baymule
Herd Master
Great! 2 lambs found homes and you don’t have to feed them!
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- #1,249
SA Farm
Herd Master
Dobby and her baby continue to impress. Since I’m milking Dobby twice a day, I’m spending quite a bit of time handling her lamb. She’s getting to be quite the suck lol
After fighting Foxy for a few days, she’s now letting me milk her, but I’ve decided to just take enough to relieve the pressure while she adjusts to feeding only one lamb. I think this morning may have been the last time.
I’m going to focus on milking Dobby right now. Foxy, Dobby, and their lambs are going to trade places with Coy soon (once the cold spell ends) so I can clean out the stalls and bring Coy and Doll inside to lamb. (Technically I could leave them where they are, but I think this is the better plan. I like to be able to be hands-on the first week.)
I need to start Doll on stand training as soon as they come in as well.
We’re back to snow and freezing this week, but before it kicked in, I started digging a trench by the barn. It always gets really muddy right at the doors (both to the run and barn). I was hoping to finish it this week, but the weather has other plans.
Next week will have to do
(The red brick-looking this is DS’s foam block)
DH wants to fill it with sand or rocks to keep it draining, but able to be walked on. Any thoughts or suggestions? Would that work well?
I was just going to leave it as a trench and work around it lol
After fighting Foxy for a few days, she’s now letting me milk her, but I’ve decided to just take enough to relieve the pressure while she adjusts to feeding only one lamb. I think this morning may have been the last time.
I’m going to focus on milking Dobby right now. Foxy, Dobby, and their lambs are going to trade places with Coy soon (once the cold spell ends) so I can clean out the stalls and bring Coy and Doll inside to lamb. (Technically I could leave them where they are, but I think this is the better plan. I like to be able to be hands-on the first week.)
I need to start Doll on stand training as soon as they come in as well.
We’re back to snow and freezing this week, but before it kicked in, I started digging a trench by the barn. It always gets really muddy right at the doors (both to the run and barn). I was hoping to finish it this week, but the weather has other plans.
Next week will have to do
(The red brick-looking this is DS’s foam block)
DH wants to fill it with sand or rocks to keep it draining, but able to be walked on. Any thoughts or suggestions? Would that work well?
I was just going to leave it as a trench and work around it lol
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Maybe a sewer type pipe to ??? a run off area. Cover that with rock...to be able to walk on.
