mysunwolf - four acres and some sheep

[Baymule]

Well we had and lost a beautiful lamb yesterday, I have been crying since. I'll post photos and the story later.

Big hugs my sheep sister, I am so sorry that you are going through the heart break of losing a lamb. We suffer the pain and sadness of loss that we may rejoice in the joys of birth and new life. The good outweighs the bad, but when you are in the midst of loss it is hard to see around it.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry to hear that MSW... what a shame.

 

[mysunwolf]

Thanks to you both, I'm not sure I can write the story out without crying again. But here's the basic stuff.

James was the last ewe to lamb in April, and since her sister had had trouble I was watching her closely. Well sure enough, she labored for a solid hour and made no progress, so I went in to pull the baby. All went easily enough, I had to massage quite a bit to get the head out since these last couple lambs have been so big. I got baby partway out, then waited for mom to do the rest, but she was too tired. So I pulled baby the rest of the way and handed her off to mom:

Things went well after that. James, the mom, was tired and licked baby while lying down. Baby wanted to stand and nurse but mom wasn't ready. I gave her warm molasses water and got her up so we could nurse the baby. James was reluctant to nurse as a lot of my first timers are, so I held her still while I got baby latched on 3-4 times and got some good drinks. Went off to do other things for a few hours, came back and find a pool of blood under the baby, still dripping from the umbilical cord which has now become really thick and large. I check for intestines in case of hernia, then tie the cord about 1-1.5inches below the belly with dental floss to stop anymore blood loss. Try to get baby up to nurse, but she is becoming weak. Give her some "Power Punch," try to get her up nursing but she refuses. Leave her for another hour, come back and she is even worse off. We tube her 60mls (and we do so correctly, I am now a tubing pro). She seems to be perking up a little at first, but then goes downhill again to where she can barely lift her head. I bring her inside to warm her up and she is crying out in pain and fading fast. It's now that I see that she hasn't even passed the meconium yet, though it is just right inside her anus. At this point I have no idea what's wrong and have done everything I know how to do, and the lamb is weakly calling out in pain intermittently and lying flat on a towel in my living room, can't even lift its head, didn't respond to me doing the warm water bath w/a trash bag trick. Nothing.

Basically, we give baby 0.1cc banamine and give her back to mom so she doesn't have to die alone. James was distressed all night and into the morning, kept pawing at the baby to get up and nurse. It was breaking my heart. A beautiful baby ewe lamb and I have no idea what was wrong with her, but didn't have the heart to do a necropsy. I made sure James had seen her dead all night and then in the morning made sure she had a chance to say goodbye, and then I buried her. I think James is comforted a bit by her sister and her sister's lamb grazing with her today, but she still calls for the baby every now and then.

I have lost lambs before, but for some reason this has just about killed me.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Some of them take their place in our hearts so very quickly. I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Mike CHS]

I know that was hard to write out. Sorry this happened to you.

 

[Latestarter]

It's so much harder when you've been there to pull the baby. And then have to watch helplessly while everything you try just isn't enough. It's a hard thing to bear. I'm very sorry for your's and James' loss. Hopefully she'll get another chance next season and have better luck. Perhaps James and her sister just shouldn't be bred again... or maybe they need a more strict diet in the final month to 6 weeks to help slow the baby growing inside? Not sure what the right answer is... Thanks for sharing. In time it will pass.

 

[Baymule]

Some of them just get inside your heart. And James trying vainly to get her baby us probably didn't help any. Watching a ewe grieve is gut wrenching. Big hugs.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Some just get to you more than others. Farming has its ups and downs and I’ve often heard my DH’s uncle saying that every day of farming is a gamble. Hoping that a positive turn of events is headed your way. I wish I could tell you that you’ll forget but some always leave an impression on your heart. I’m so very sorry that you are hurting!

 

[promiseacres]

sorry

 

[mysunwolf]

Thank you all for the kind words and virtual hugs, they mean so much. I have no idea why this lamb affected me so much

I will definitely be breeding these two again, it was most likely the over feeding and the fact that they were first timers that caused the issues. I was pretty sure lambs would be in Feb/Mar, had absolutely no idea what was in store for this season--possibly lambs in MAY?! I think they will be much better moms on the next go around and hopefully will produce some ewe lambs that survive.

I think this lamb died because she was weak from the umbilical bleeding and mom accidentally stepped on her... I probably should have pulled her when I noticed her umbilical issue

Wish this wasn't the almost-end to my lambing season. Next ewe is due in May and always has triplets, I'm not looking forward to dealing with that. We are out of hay so I've kicked everyone onto the nice pasture.

Thank you, BYH family, for making this day more bearable.