Erin is one of our Horned Dorset sheep. She is a little taller and narrower than the rest as her mother was a show sheep. Her father, though, was our first commercial Horned Dorset rams Cornelius. So she is not AS TALL as her mother.
This last week, or so, we've had her separately from the rest of the flock as they seem to be pushing her out of the grain and she seemed a little lethargic. We suspected that she had pregnancy toxemia.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/metabolic_disorders/hepatic_lipidosis/pregnancy_toxemia_in_ewes_and_does.html
So, she's been getting fed and housed separate from the rest. She got to the point that her hips were not moving as she was VERY stiff in the high end, and last night at feeding time she would not get up. But, as long as she had food and water, she ate and drank just fine. We added beet pulp to her food while she was separated, and a few days ago I added molasses to her grain and fed her 3-4 Tums 2-3 times a day for the calcium.
This morning when I went out to feed I found her laid out on her side and thought she was dead! But, then her back feet moved. She was finally in labor!! Upon closer examination it was determined that the lamb was breech and all that was presented was the tail. Thank God for You Tube videos as I just watched one on this last night!!! I rolled her onto her back with her legs straight up in the air. I tried to push the lamb back in to find the rest of the legs as all I could see were the 'knees'. Not happening! I hook a finger, or two, behind each knee and gently pull the lamb out while she pushes. It was ALIVE!!! I cleaned off it face and scooped what I could out of its mouth and presented it to Erin. Whom I had rolled back over onto her belly at this point. She starts to nicker to it and clean it, so I start to feed the rest of the flock.
Come back in and she is down on her side again. Examine her again and this time find only a head. No legs. AGAIN!! I roll her onto her back, try to find legs... Nope. Not happening. But, with her upside down there was more than enough room that she pushed and out came the baby!! Thank you Lord for Your hand in this! This is not what I do. This is what hubby does. The difficult birthings.
Now that Erin has her two GIRLS, she is standing up like a normal sheep and is nickering and cleaning away. I am leaving her to it for a while and then I'll go out and make sure that she has nursed them.
We now have all 4 lambing jugs filled. When hubby get home we will do CDT and worm with Cydectin the mothers, and band the tails and put in ear tags on the lambs. The first two will then have their divider removed so that they can be in the small lamb nursery. Tomorrow morning we will remove another divider and let the third ewe join the first two. Erin will be in the lambing jug for a few days to make sure that she has recovered from the toxemia, and that the lambs have recovered from their unconventional birth.
In the lambing jugs now are- Dani, a 2 year old Horned Dorset lambing for the first time. She gave us twins. Jonna, a 3 year old Horned Dorset who delivered a single. She is the one I posted pictures of giving birth. Natalie, a 2 year old Dorset/Romney lambing for the first time. She also gave us twins. And, now Erin, a 5 year old Horned Dorset who has never had a problem before.
This is the first time we've ever had this on the farm and I hope it is the LAST time we ever have it!!
Off to have a cup of tea and then to check on the lambs.
TTFN.
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