# Bad Mothers and Good



## Sheepshape (Apr 2, 2017)

Bad mothers are a problem, but sheep are usually very good mothers....sometimes a bit TOO good.  A in labour may well try to lick off lambs of a ewe who has given birth very close by, as may a ewe who has a dead lamb.

A few mornings back I went into the shed first thing in the morning to find two lambs and two ewes licking a lamb each. Both ewes were marked for twins, so I moved them into lambing pens to await the arrival of the second birth.(As this year's scans were done by the apprentice they have been far from accurate, so this was only an assumed position).

After about half an hour one of the ewes dropped a sac, then a lamb. Daughter commented....."That lamb looks like a Specklie (Beulah Speckled Face), whereas the other is a definite mule. Can that happen?" Well no. A quick glance across to the other ewe who had given birth confirmed she had a mule.

Whilst new mum ewe is licking off her Beulah Speckled Face lamb, the mule in with her is hastily moved over to the other pen to join her brother mule. 'Mule' mum immediately starts to sniff and seems unsure, but allows the lamb to suckle. Meanwhile 'Beulah' mum goes on to produce a second Beulah lamb.

Some sheep are such good mothers or, confused by labour pains that they have already given birth, that they will take on any lamb in the vicinity.

Luckily THIS story had a happy ending.


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