Thursday, March 24, 2011

(Almost) the last of the lambs...

I got in at 11:15 pm last night after a fun night of laughter, food and spinning/knitting. Thank you ladies!! I needed a night off!

I couldn't sleep, so I read email and wandered to bed about midnight. Max (the dog cat) started acting 'stupid', so I turned the baby monitor back on. There was no sense in listening to snoring sheep when no one was close. I heard nothing unusual so I went to bed. 12:30ish I heard something that seemed off, so on go the clothes, to the kitchen for the flashlight and coat. Get out in the barn and something doesn't look quite right. I notice Lillian's butt looks like it has blood on it, and I need to get in to see what is going on. We didn't expect anything from her for at least another 2 weeks. Sure enough, I get up to her and she has herself a little ram lamb. He was dry and fed, so he must have been born while I was out spinning. Good mom! She is one of my keepers. She is out of Shauna, a tri-colored Romney, and Joshua, a chocolate Border Leicester/Romney. Put her in the lamb jug, and head back to bed for about 4 hours.

4 am, Jerry comes and wakes me up. We have another ewe in labor, but only 1 foot is showing with the nose.  I make her stand back up, Jerry puts on the gloves and goes to work pushing the lamb back in to pull out the 2nd leg. We put her in the other lamb jug, he goes to work, and I go in to have a cup of coffee and wake up. I go out after my 1st cup and she had herself a white ram lamb. She is Dorset/Romney and was bred to the Horned Dorset.

Ok, it now 6 am and I am up and cleaning house (because it needs to be done) and listening for her to have a 2nd one, maybe... I hear groaning and moaning, put my coat back on and go out to look at Scarlett. Hmm. It is not her. Look in general population, and Callie has just had a ewe lamb. Ok, I grab a towel and go in to get the lamb. She follows me out and I put her in the 3rd jug.

So, now we have 3 new lambs under 3 heat lamps with 3 happy ewes.

All that is left (planned) is our boarder. Emma is a lilac, hornless Jacob. We bred her to our Romney ram. She is pregnant and is either going to have one big lamb or 2 smaller ones. This is her first know breeding. Neither the owners nor we know for sure how old she is, but she is not too old. We will just keep an eye on her.

Pictures will come later, when I find the camera and go out and shoot some. (o;

TTFN

2 comments:

Sara said...

Cool beans!!! Can't wait to see photos.

Long Ridge Farm said...

Won't you be happy to have everyone done and onto happy lambs a sproinging! Good work.

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