Baymule’s 2024 Lambing plus 12-23

[Baymule]

I took the bottle lambs outside yesterday. Two of them fell off the porch. Patches cried and I cuddled her, then she was fine. Ruby acted like it knocked the wind out of her, so I rubbed her and petted her until she was ready to get down and play.

Carson went up and down the steps. Monkey see, monkey do. Soon the hooligans were running up and down the steps.

They played in the grass.

They are strong, up to 7 ounces every 2-3 hours.

I don’t leave Carson alone with them. He’s good, but temptation might be too much for him.

I’m leaving for Gatesville in the morning to attend the TexKats sheep field day on Saturday. I’m taking @Margali a ewe, she’s bringing me one. Plus she’s taking some ram lambs to sell. She reserved 2 pens, but it’s first come, first serve. So if you reserve pens, doesn’t that mean they are supposed to save them for you? Sigh….

We are both so excited and we are going to have some fun.

Neighbor Chase and his wife and daughter will take the bottle lambs home this evening and will take care of them while I’m gone. I’m so blessed!

 

[farmerjan]

Have a good time... enjoy a couple days "off"....

 

[Margali]

I ASKED about reserving and was TOLD first come, first served. Can't wait to see you there even especially with horrible today.

 

[Baymule]

I ASKED about reserving and was TOLD first come, first served. Can't wait to see you there even especially with horrible today.

My bad. No worries, I’ll be there waiting on them to open.

 

[Baymule]

Chase came and got the bottle lambs yesterday. Last night Carson went and sniffed the towel their crate sat on. Towel keeps the crate from scratching the floor. He sniffed the towel all over then laid down on it.

 

[Finnie]

He’ll be so glad when they come back!

 

[Baymule]

I opened the gate to the small front pasture this morning. Ewes streamed in behind me. The grass is real good, been saving it back for them.

Carson and I went to town for ice and to haul off chicken guts. When we came back, I just had to stop on the road in front of my place to admire the sheep belly deep in green grass.

M

And Sheba was watching over all. She has always been laid back, ho-hum, let the boys handle it. But not now. She takes guarding all these lambs seriously. She wants to go eat with the boys, then rough house with Buford. But she is then ready to go back to her babies. I’m so proud of Sheba.

 

[SageHill]

There is just something soothing watching your sheep out in the field.

 

[Mini Horses]

Goats aren't as calm grazers, always in motion. But they bring it when I'm milking and they're munching.

 

[Baymule]

Dainty has been “off” and not down, but not up either. I’ve thrown everything at her. B vitamin paste, Nutridrench, CMK, syringed sugar water in her mouth. 3-4 times a day. She finally got to feeling good enough to run from me. LOL

Rainbow has had a protrusion out her vagina for almost 2 weeks when she laid down. It sucked back in when she stood up. Just a tiny bit, but sticking out maybe an inch and half.

Been worried about both of them.

Yesterday morning Dainty had ram twins. Up, feeling much better, lambs nursed and full tummies. Great! Gotta go to my sister’s house. She is home from hospital. I’ll scrapie tag later.
Got home, at 2:30, fed screaming bottle babies. Dainty laying down, lambs next to her. Good. Loaded frozen chicken in cooler in back seat of car. Plus 2 small styrofoam coolers in front seat. Had time to eat a half leftover steak and glass of chocolate milk. Back out to feed starving screaming hooligans their bottles and left to meet chicken customer. Got back at 6:30. Fed screaming hooligans. Fed horse, dogs, sheep, closed sheep up for the night.

Dainty had a very lopsided bag. One side looked like a popped balloon, other side looked like a balloon about to pop. Her lambs were fed and ok, but her? Mastitis? I tried to examine her udder, full side nipple looked like it had the wax plug. I tried to get it off, unrestrained, she knocked me down and took off. Alright, I’m exhausted and too tired, I’ll mess with her tomorrow morning.
Rainbow didn’t look good either.

I went out this morning fully expecting full blown mastitis and immediate bottle babies, and expecting Rainbow to have lambed and a full on prolapse. Already working in my mind to get them both well and take to auction. Still tired from activities of the last 2 weeks. Not what I want to do, but pile it on when exhausted, right?

Dainty’s udder was normal! Lambs sucked it down, they were happy and fat. Dainty was a happy attentive mom and most of all, I’m happy. No mastitis. She’s up and took her lambs out on the field to graze. Not far, staying close to shelter, but everything is OK.

Rainbow lambed last night, ram and ewe. No prolapse. No uterus hanging out. She’s fine, lambs are fine and I’m delighted.

I scrapie tagged all 4 lambs. Rainbow was showing favor to ewe lamb, so I put her and lambs in the small hog panel across the corner pen. She better get with it, it’s gonna storm tomorrow night and that pen will flood. So I’ll have to let her and lambs out. Oops, nope. Just checked weather forecast and it’s going to hit around 6:00 this evening. So she better hurry up and love both babies. LOL

So my worst case scenario didn’t happen. Ewes are fine, lambs are fine. I’m more than fine and have no high ambitions today. One more ewe to lamb, it’s B30 of Texas Five. She was due on the 18th, 2 days ago. Well, now she’d better suck it up and wait until tomorrow morning.

I’m tired. All 37 chickens are now in Freezer Camp. All but one ewe has lambed. Have 30 lambs now.

I think I’ll throw more clean dry clothes on the sofa, to be folded at a date far into the future , and wash another load.