Baymule’s 2025 Lambing

[farmerjan]

They will go crazy and eat alot of the tubs for a few days... once they get it into their system, they should slow down some. The cows do the same with the 200 lb tubs when I put them out... It's a combination of the molasses, making them sweet to get them to eat them... and their body maybe craving some trace mineral that gets satisfied and then they will go to consuming what they need rather than gorging themselves on them. Put them farther from their water source so they have to leave and go get a drink... will slow the consumption down some... some will be hogs and constantly work on them. Sometimes you may have to take them out for a day or 2 if they don't moderate their intake... It's like grain... some will be total pigs all the time..

 

[Baymule]

Total now is 24 lambs.

Just got back from taking girls to meet their parents at my sister’s house. I stopped to eat on my way back. I need a nap now.

 

[Baymule]

It’s been cold, Houston and the Gulf coast got slammed with snow storms. Everything shut down, we are idiots, don’t know how to drive on this stuff and have little to no snow equipment for the roads. I was just above the madness, got a light sprinkling of snow, but have had to deal with frozen water buckets, new lambs and carrying buckets of boiling water to melt the ice. Lowest it got was 16F degrees. That’s nothing for most of you, but for here, it’s awful. LOL

It’s going to finally warm up to 52 today! Yay! I’ve had my water cut off to the house, not wanting to risk busted pipes. I drew up a big tub of water outside, busted ice and brought it inside to heat up. I put buckets of water in the bathtub for flushing the toilet and more water for the sheep. Have big pots of water in kitchen for washing hands and rinsing out the few dishes I used. Paper plates are my friend!

I’ll take boiling water outside this morning and it will probably be the last time unless we have another hard freeze and winter weather that nobody here wants. By noon, I should be able to turn the water back on, wash clothes, take a shower instead of an unsatisfying bath with a bowl of water. LOL

I’ve been a slug for 3 days. I slopped around in sweat pants and big long sleeved Tshirt. I put on a flannel shirt, sweat hoodie , Carhart insulated overalls and Carhart coat over my sloppy house gear, to go outside.

Carson has gone with me outside, but made the executive decision to stay in, in front of the propane heater while I carried buckets of boiling water to the sheep.

The Anatolians have burrowed down in hay, but the cold hasn’t slowed them down. If anything they have been more frisky and playful.

The last lambs were born Saturday, have 2 ewes that are ready to explode. I’ve warned them that they better not have popsicle’s! Winter is almost over for now. But we still have February to go. And I have another batch of ewes due in February.

 

[Mini Horses]

Same here. 3rd day of 10 at get up. Better than you, as I have running water and 2 big heated tubs...but not enough for constant drinking for herd size & 20 nursing moms!! Temps haven't been out of 20s for 4 days and I've removed ice from tubs to heated -- save water -- added hot to frozen. 2x a day. It's exhausting!!! And both of us are loners.

I'm over it with winter!! Feb is normally a challenge. Can't wait for it to happen. I can feel your excitement too.

 

[Baymule]

It has warmed up to 36F DEGREES!! I bundled up to go outside st 32 degrees and actually got hot and had to shed my Carhart jacket. I only had to carry one round of boiling water. Supposed to warm up to 52 degrees today and only 26 tonight. I’m gonna turn my water back on this afternoon at the warmest part of the day. And get a REAL shower instead of a bath with a pan of water.

Pancake and Bon Bon didn’t lamb last night. One more night girls!
BUT lambing moved to the front field! Big Girl, registered ewe had twins, white ewe and white ram. Ewe will join the flock.

My mistake! It was not Big Girl, it was Snuffy, a ewe I bought from Howard Covington last year. I realized my mistake when I scrapie tagged the lambs today.

I have 7 registered ewes, 2 lambs from last year that survived the parasite attack that I’ll put with a ram in a few weeks, that makes 9, plus these 2 will make 11 next year. And still have 5 more registered ewes to lamb.

75% Ginger had a ewe, 87.5%. Fancy had black twins, at 87.5% eligible for full registration at 1 year old. Ram going to @Margali, ewe joining flock.

Pancake and Bon Bon are both 75% and due….. hoping for ewes that will be 87.5%.

I have a feeling that next year and the year after, I’ll have an explosion of eligible ewes for full registration. I’ve worked long and hard for this. I’m seeing the goal and it’s getting closer.

26 lambs!

 

[Mini Horses]

At least Big Girl held out until today!! Warmer...

Healthy & only thing better would have been 2 ewes. At least a reg ram to sell all good.

 

[Ridgetop]

I’ve had my water cut off to the house, not wanting to risk busted pipes. I drew up a big tub of water outside, busted ice and brought it inside to heat up. I put buckets of water in the bathtub for flushing the toilet and more water for the sheep. Have big pots of water in kitchen for washing hands and rinsing out the few dishes I used. Paper plates are my friend!

Temps haven't been out of 20s for 4 days and I've removed ice from tubs to heated -- save water -- added hot to frozen. 2x a day. It's exhausting!!!

There are times when California doesn't seem so bad. LOL

 

[Baymule]

Well today didn’t go at all like I thought it would. I went to the post office this morning , came back and Specks was laying out in the field. She hasn’t been too perky the last couple of days so I was concerned. I went inside, came back out and Specks was in the newest pallet palace I built. She was prolapsing.

I went back in, got a prolapse harness, spoon and supplies. I haltered her and led her to another pen. I have never used a prolapse harness and it took me awhile to get her rigged up. I called @Ridgetop for guidance but she was outside, I left her a message. I was trying to figure out the spoon when I noticed something black sticking out. Not a prolapse! Premature birth. It was a tiny ear.

Lambs head was tucked downward, so the top of the head crowned. @Ridgetop explained to me that was causing the bulging lady hoo-hah. Head was not backwards, the chin was tucked downward and the top of the head was coming first. The big bulge I was seeing looked like a prolapse.

I pulled when she pushed and the lamb came out. Dead. A ram lamb and beautiful color. I was sad to have lost him, but I still have Specks. Specks is from Texas Five White Dorper, Cleopatra and Cooper Katahdin ram. She was bred to Little Ringo, who is white except for 3 brown spots and 1 black spot on his ears. Specks was white, covered with red speckles. The dead lamb’s color looked like an American Blackbelly, and he had white patches on his back, white on top of his head and 2 white feet. Gorgeous.

I gave Specks Nutridrench, B vitamins shot and antibiotics shot. I drenched her with warm molasses water. She just laid there, probably in shock. I left the dead lamb with her and about an hour later she got up. She ate a little, walked around, a little worse for wear, but ok. I took the lamb and disposed of it.

Picture of her pushed out bulging lady part that looked like a prolapse to me until a tiny black ear sticking out told me birth was on the way. Then the head crowned.

Dead lamb. I put Little Ringo in the field September 13, at the earliest, Specks was 3 weeks early.

27 lambs, minus one.

 

[Margali]

Poor Specks! Brow first is why I had a C-Section with my first, Alexander.

 

[Baymule]

Poor Specks! Brow first is why I had a C-Section with my first, Alexander.

Well at least the doctors were smarter than me and got right down to business.