How much longer until she's due? First lambing season on my own.

[trampledbygeese]

Lambs tonight?!? Exciting and scary. Had little baby ducklings this morning, now little baby sheep tonight. It must be spring time.

Just checked in on her again, an hour and a half since first white goo sighting. Lots of white goo in a string down out of her lamb hole and to the ground. Standing up and a bit restless instead of her usual laying down and chewing cud for this time of night.

Time to switch from wine to coffee. There's going to be zero sleep tonight.

 

[luvmypets]

Ahhhh!!! Im getting so jealous, everyone is having babies except me xD!! We still have a month or so to go and we only have one ewe so Im super excited!!

Pink thoughts heading ur way !

 

[trampledbygeese]

Another hour or so gone by and no real change. Maybe a bit more pinkness to her lamb hole, but hard to be certain. Udders look a bit bigger in this light. She's having trouble finding a comfortable position. Don't know if this means lambs tonight or not.

Basically she's getting fed up with me constantly checking on her. My human understanding of her thoughts is 'if you keep looking at my private parts, I'm going to start charging you for it'. Of course sheep don't really think that way. Sheep thoughts are more like 'this is something different so I'm not sure if I like it'. But what's a little anthropomorphizing between friends?

I'm going to have some tea and a nap. That's the only way they come, if I fall asleep, so might as well get it over with early. Plan to check in on her in 3 to 4 hours. Going to keep my window ajar so I can hear if she needs me. She'll wake the geese, the geese will wake me. Everyone's right outside my window.

 

[babsbag]

Good luck on the lamb watch. With a string of goo that long I will say within the next 12 hours, but certainly can be sooner. I usually sleep for 2 hours and then check again.

If these ewes have a history of abandoning their lambs are you ready to bottle raise them? It is imperative that they get some colostrum in them ASAP even if you have to hog tie the ewe and milk her.

 

[trampledbygeese]

2 hour naps, good to know. Thank goodness I'm insomniac.

As you can tell, no napping yet. Just checked on her again and gave her a rub (she likes rubs). She's started the pawing at the ground behaviour. Is it pawing if they have hooves?

Bottle feeding them is okay for us. Not ideal of course, but we are prepared for it. I even bought extra nipples - walk into the store and say to the clerk in my loudest indoor voice, 'Can I have half a dozen nipples please'. The city folk who came to the shop for their gardening supplies were stunned. It was awesome.

These ewes are easy to handle and milk. Going to take every effort to make the ewes take to the lambs, but of course not going to jeopardize the health of anyone to do so. Thankfully the ewes have decided that they want to lamb in the jugs.

I don't know for certain, but I don't think these ewes were kept in jugs before, and that might have been the trouble with them not taking to their lambs in the past.


My understanding of the theory (going from books and helping my friends lamb) is that having the colostrum within the first half hour is ideal, but within the first two hours is acceptable. Any longer than that and problems become likely. Does this sound right to you?

I wish I had some Colostrum in the freezer. I think I might milk a bit of colostrum from this ewe after her lamb(s) have had their share. That way I can always have some on hand just in case.


Question: I really want to give these ewes their vaccines, but I can't if they are within two weeks of 'hatching'. How many days after they lamb can I give them their shots?

edit for spelling, though I'm certain I missed a bunch. Too tired to care about spelling any more tonight.

 

[trampledbygeese]

2am and my second check on her since I last was here.

There is definitely something not right with her. No chewing of cud, occasional discomfort, albeit mild. Dreamy eyes that don't seem to focus much on the world around her.

No change to her lamb hole that I can tell.

I'm filled with all those doubts you get at two in the morning. What if she's not pregnant and it's something else entirely? What if she is pregnant and it's something terrible she has going on?

She probably is just taking her time going into labour. She responds to me as normal and will get up when asked. I guess another two hour nap and then go see her.

 

[bloonskiller911]

hoping in an hour I see an update with the pictures of a lamb!!! should be any time!

 

[norseofcourse]

I even bought extra nipples - walk into the store and say to the clerk in my loudest indoor voice, 'Can I have half a dozen nipples please'. The city folk who came to the shop for their gardening supplies were stunned. It was awesome.

 

[goats&moregoats]

will be checking back in to see if we have lambs yet.

 

[Sheepshape]

Looks pretty close to me,too.
Why don't you see if she has milk (colostrum)? Not 100%, but if you grasp the teat firmly at the top and tug gently downwards, with a slightly rotating action (remember to be gentle), and repeat this 2-3 times. then the presence of even a small amount of colostrum means she only has a day or two.

Good luck