In Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa the belief is that if you help the ewe in labor, you will end up with future ewes that need help instead of being able to drop lambs easily. The breeds they have there are supposed to lamb easily, get their lambs up immediately to travel with the flock, and feed them to weaning without any help. Since those countries have huge flocks of sheep, the "if she dies, she dies" attitude makes sense. You can't be pulling lambs on a flock of 1000+ ewes lambing in the outback or bush. With the smaller flocks we have on BYH the loss of one animal or lamb can be heart wrenching, not to mention an expensive loss.
It is always a crapshoot whether to go in or not. Sometimes I think I am too quick off the mark to try to pull lambs, then when I lose lambs, I am angry at myself for not going in sooner. The upside is that Dessa is ok. She can breed again and carry full term.
I had big hopes for Dessa having a lamb at all. Finally! She’s close to 2 1/2 years old. She’ll get a good rest, time to heal and eat, then go see that handsome Cooper again.
