Counting Lambs

[Sheepshape]

If yesterday was busy, today has been worse. Two Blue Faced Leicester girls (Marilyn and Dazey) gave birth and both rejected their lambs. Dazey has a horrible metritis and is discharging foul pus...it's amazing her lamb is alive. This little (or rather big one to be exact) is in my 'orphan pen' whilst she is on heavy antibiotics. Marilyn is being horrid to her lovely young man, and may well not accept HER lamb.

The Beulah Speckled Face are behaving themselves by-and-large, the Gwladys did a 'lamb steal' last night and has bellowed all day after I managed to find the real mum. Gwladys is still to give birth. Luckily this time the real mum accepted back her stolen lamb, unlike another of my girls, Winnie who added 2 more to my swelling orphan pen.

My little deformed lamb was euthanised by the vet who thought she would have no quality of life.....I always find this very hard.

My camera battery has run out, but I have a few pics. I'll upload soon.

 

[Baymule]

Sorry about your little deformed lamb. It is hard to deal with such things, but we do what we gotta do.

Did you thing that you were going to be a sheep momma to orphan lambs when you first got sheep? You are certainly a good sheep momma, both to the orphans and the entire flock.

 

[Sheepshape]

Did you thing that you were going to be a sheep momma to orphan lambs when you first got sheep?

I just thought I'd give the occasional bottle feed. BUT....it's turned into so much more. It's so easy to become attached to them.

One of my ewes had 2 stillborn today....her placenta had sheared off. It was coming out before the lambs. She has been so upset today. Every lamb that she sees, she calls to. I've moved her this evening to the 'dry' field as there are no lambs there to cause her to keep searching.Always a sad time.

 

[Sheepshape]

A few (not-so-good) pics., but I've discovered how to use my camera, so more to follow

One of the orphans (the lamb, that is)

Marilyn just before she rejected her lamb

A few more orphans.

 

[mysunwolf]

Beautiful orphans, can't ever understand why moms don't want perfectly healthy babies! Keep us updated, we're learning through your lambing posts as usual.

 

[Latestarter]

Was that you in the first pic? Pretty as a new born lamb! Speaking of which, beautiful babies you've got there, even if they have become orphans. I know you'll take good care of them!

 

[promiseacres]

Do you ever try to pair mama's that have lost their lambs with orphans? Just curious.

 

[Baymule]

Do you ever try to pair mama's that have lost their lambs with orphans? Just curious.

I was going to ask the same thing!

 

[Sheepshape]

Beautiful orphans, can't ever understand why moms don't want perfectly healthy babies!

It's true. Some are technically not orphans as they came from triplet births, but not all. One triplet birth happened overnight, un-witnessed, and two had wandered off and attached themselves to another ewe, who hadn't yet given birth, and who was licking and mothering them. Their real mum thereafter rejected them. Another ewe rejected one of twins....reason unknown, and was becoming quite violent to him. One of the Blue Faced Leicester babes has a mother who had a womb full of pus and it's a miracle her lamb survived. Mum is currently doing well on hefty antibiotics.Marilyn had a very painful birth of a very large lamb....I'm thinking that's why she rejected him. She has been restrained until she has stopped showing aggression, and I left her overnight with him last night (uneventfully). I'm hoping the worst is past.

Do you ever try to pair mama's that have lost their lambs with orphans?

Yes...this is always the plan. But Murphy's law seems to have dictated that every time I've had a triplet birth, then the only other ewe to give birth has been a ewe with twins herself, so it just hasn't worked out well.I tried desperately to get one ewe to take a triplet lamb....menthol on nose. smothered in her dead lamb's 'juices', wearing her dead lamb's skin.....result...still rejected and a horribly stinky lamb.

Was that you in the first pic? Pretty as a new born lamb! Speaking of which, beautiful babies you've got there, even if they have become orphans. I know you'll take good care of them!

. That's one of my daughters (I have 2 daughters). I'm a much older, wrinklier, altogether grislier version of her. I'd rather not have all these orphans, but I already find them charming.

Well here's a couple of other pics. of the orphans.

.

 

[animalmom]

The babies are so darling! Ton of work, but darling.