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

[purplequeenvt]

Hope all is well!

 

[trampledbygeese]

No lambs yet. sigh.

Haven't had a close look at her since 6am, but I can see from my window that she's up and about nibbling on grass.

So very tired! As you can imagine, 2 hour naps in this kind of situation translate to 10 minutes making tea, 20 min drinking tea, half an hour getting comfortable lying down, and an hour laying in the dark wondering if I missed my alarm. I wish I was a sheep, apparently they only need a couple of hours sleep out of every 24.

Going to chalk it up as good practice for when serious lambing season arrives. Still keeping a close eye on my ewe, but I wonder if her mum (the girl from my original post) is getting close as well as her lamb hole is looking a bit puffier.

Thanks for the encouragement all.

 

[babsbag]

These ewes/goats can you drive you crazy. My last one started with goo at about 7 AM and didn't kid until 2 AM. Yours has to be close.

As far as the vaccine, I have never given it close to birth as it won't do the lambs any good if you are too close to lambing; but I don't believe it is dangerous. I would do the ewes right after lambing and then the lambs at 1-3 weeks since the ewe has not been vaccinated.

You sound like you are prepared. Good luck and keep us posted. And yes, keeping them confined after birthing can really help with the bonding.

 

[trampledbygeese]

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Gone midday and still no lambs. Soooo tired! All the ewe wants to do is lye down and watch the ducklings.

 

[trampledbygeese]

Ducklings, to tide you over until lamb photos.

 

[trampledbygeese]

Another sunset and no new sheep. Both these girls are munching happily on their pasture.

There is definitely something unusual about this girl, but if she's going into labour, she's certainly good at hiding it. No more white goo since last night.

Sigh. Is it actually impending lambs or could something else be wrong with her? I don't even know if she's pregnant. She's a good deal smaller than the old girl we know for certain has little ones inside her.

 

[purplequeenvt]

If she were my sheep, I would have examined her this morning to make sure things were ok. Maybe she was just losing her plug, but I've never seen that much goo and had it not be labor. Was the goop white (opaque) or a clear/slightly cloudy amber?

If she's eating and not seeming uncomfortable or distressed than you are probably fine. Most people aren't comfortable doing an internal exam and that's ok.

 

[trampledbygeese]

White opaque. Very slippery (I got some on me, it was like hand cream).

There are rams within smelling distance, so if this is just heat, I would think she would show other signs (ie, standing at the fence, wagging tail, and yelling for the ram to come and visit). She shows none of this.

Smaller appetite than usual, but definitely self initiating eating (aka, she goes off looking for food instead of waiting for us to bring it to her).

I worry about doing an internal exam, mostly because I don't know what to feel for. Well, I know the theory, but not the actual feelings. I worry about making things worse or causing her extra stress in my ignorance. Since she can eat, poop, pee and walk on her own initiative, I'm going to just keep observing for now.

I did the eye and gum check for parasites two weeks ago, nothing worrying me there. Will have another check in the morning.

Minerals she has her cobalt salt lick, her regular sheep mineral lick, and a hand full of sheep text with extra selenium (we have extreme lack of Se locally). Hay free feed and a variety of pasture plants. Hopefully not dopy from mineral deficiency, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight.

 

[babsbag]

If it's white it is her mucous plug and she could still go a few days. If it is amber colored it is amniotic fluid and labor is imminent.

As far as selenium, we have the same problem. Low selenium can cause long labors and a long time between lambs being born. There is not much you can do for the ewe at this point but if the lambs are weak, no suck reflex, or back legs that buckle I would consider a bo-se injection, but I don't know if you can get that in Canada.

 

[trampledbygeese]

There is a Se injection. Drat my foolishness for not ordering some. Thank you greatly for reminding me. Drat tomorrow for being a holiday and the (affordable) vet for being closed. Thank you neighbours for having goats and most likely keeping a supply of Se shots I can mooch off of in an emergency.

My friend had her sheep on my property for a lambing season and one of her poor lambs got Se deficiency, it was horrible, but eventually we got the lamb better. That's why I've been spending the last little while with the Se supplement in my girls feed. It seems to do a lot of good for them and according to one of my mentors also wards off (starts with M, means infected milk production thingy).

I have the vaccine (tetanus and some other standard stuff) on hand and a pick-me-up vitamin shot thing with lots of Bvits in it. It's in the fridge and I can't remember what it's called. Out of wormer, but need to change that anyway as Ivomec isn't as effective as before. I worm on demand, but have two small flocks so I can usually catch the signs early.

Elasticator, nipples, bottles, milking pails, rubbing alcohol, iodine, cut my fingernails, halters, rope, jugs, fresh bedding for jugs, molasses, buckets, book with pictures in it for lambing, towels, coffee, some of the basic meds, needles, the number of three sheep/goat experts within ten minutes of here, the number of two vets who see sheep, one of which is open 24 hours a day (but would cost more than these two girls are worth to go in after hours), more coffee, two seasons experience assisting with lambing, and this forum. Can't think of what else I need except to relax.

Going to go back to the every 4 hour check. That way I can get at least some shut eye. I sleep with one ear and the window open so I will wake up if anything changes out there.

Thanks again for the help. Glad I don't need to freak out just yet. By this time next year I'm going to be so laid back about lambing, but this year, the first on my own, I'm a bundle of nerves.