Ponker
Loving the herd life
One of my hair sheep, a Katahdin mix, lambed yesterday in the pasture. She gave birth to a ram and a ewe. Momma Spotty, cleaned the little ones and responded well to the birthing. I only helped once by clearing the nose and mouth of the second lamb as Momma was very focused on baby number one at the time. She then cleaned the second lamb the rest of the way. The other ewes became overly inquisitive, so I moved Momma and the babies into the barn. They are now in a private 10 x 6 stall. She has good hay, alfalfa, water (tall bucket to prevent lamb drownings) and bedding. She passed the afterbirth and I cleaned it up. When she started the 'birthing dance' - she pawed and moved around and pawed and moved around laying down and getting up... I moved closer to her because I had been watching her closely for days. She actually had the second lamb standing up. She continued the pawing and restless behavior all afternoon. She hasn't laid down much, if at all, before I left the barn last night. She's eating and drinking fine, chewing a cud, and her udder is not hot and both teats are supplying milk.
Spotty is usually a calm friendly ewe with a very relaxed nature. This restlessness and constant pawing had me worried but by late afternoon she had calmed considerably and was laying down a good portion of the day. She was getting up to allow the lambs to nurse and then laying back down to sleep.
I wonder if this might be her first birthing experience. She acted very afraid and anxious. She drank the warm electrolyte/molasses mixture without hesitation. I don't have her history.
