Norseofcourse's lambing thread - 2015 - over, or not?

[norseofcourse]

Another midnight-ish feeding for the twins. So much better than 24 hours ago. I don't put the neckrope on Rose anymore and she lets them both nurse, although you can tell the firstborn is still her favorite and she's still not entirely happy about the secondborn but she's definitely much less hostile to him.

Gracie is getting closer, don't think tonight but maybe within a few days to a week at most.

 

[norseofcourse]

Rose is still doing better about accepting her secondborn, but not quite well enough that I feel safe putting them together full-time. She lets them both nurse for awhile, but then eventually starts some head-butting toward her secondborn. Not nearly as bad as she was in the beginning, though! It's a little frustrating, but I have to remind myself it's only been three days, and she's vastly improved from Sunday, when I had to tie her up and she still struggled and fought and absolutely *hated* being made to let him nurse.

I am hoping another day or two of this routine and she'll finally accept them both fully.

I wrote the above earlier this evening. Just got in from another midnight feeding, and Rose is still doing well with the twins. Put them back in their pen before she had a chance to get annoyed with the secondborn. I think I saw her licking at his face through the fence panel - crossing fingers she is actually starting to accept him!

Gracie's vulva is swelling but doesn't look 'loose' yet. I won't mind if she holds out at least another day or so.

 

[AriesX]

How did your lambs do in the cold? Is the ewe getting better with them?

 

[norseofcourse]

How did your lambs do in the cold? Is the ewe getting better with them?

The lambs have done fine in the cold so far, I only put the lamb jackets on them for one night. Rose is getting better with them, but still not where I feel safe putting them with her full time. They both run to her and nurse when I let them out, and she's ok with them both nursing, or with her firstborn nursing by himself, but generally walks away if the secondborn tries to nurse by himself. And she still makes the occasional headbutt motion towards the secondborn. She has come a LONG way from how she was on Sunday, and I am hoping she will eventually (soon!) come around and be good with both of them.

 

[norseofcourse]

Rose is still doing pretty well with accepting both of her lambs, but not quite fully yet. I let them out of their pen and they go right to her and nurse, and she's good with them for awhile as they follow her around and occasionally nurse. But after about 15 minutes she starts making little headbutting motions towards the secondborn.

It's been 5 days now and she is much MUCH better than she was in the beginning when I had to tie and hold her to force her to let her secondborn nurse. I guess I'm just worried - will she eventually fully accept him? Are there specific signs I should watch for, to tell me she either is - or is not - bonding to both of her twins?

I think I saw/heard her call to her secondborn this evening, when he was about ten feet behind her. She turned her head and gave that low 'mom ewe' call, and he bleated back and came to her. She *might* have been calling to her firstborn, who was also behind her but closer, but it seemed that she was calling to the secondborn as he was further away. If she was indeed calling to her secondborn, that is the first time she has done that (that I know of), and I know that's a good sign. But ten minutes later is when she headbutted him away.... sigh.

At least the lambs are doing well under this routine, and it's easier than pulling one and bottlefeeding would be. And I still have hope...

 

[SheepGirl]

My last ewe lambed a week ago. She didnt accept her baby so I would hold her 2x a day so the baby could nurse. I went out one night and baby had a full belly, momma was feeding him on her own. Maybe you will have the same luck.

 

[purplequeenvt]

She may never fully accept him, but as long as she lets him nurse he should be fine.

I'd let them out together for a while and see what happens.

 

[norseofcourse]

I did a bunch of switching around this evening.

I let Lukka and her lamb out with the rest of the flock, and redid her pen to put the twins in it (one side was kinda juryrigged). Rose had the twins while I was setting everything up and getting their evening feed ready, so they were out of my sight for most of that time, but they all seemed ok when I was done and brought them all in to eat.

Lukka's lamb stuck right with her mom most of the time. She did get a bit close to the other sheep and got headbutted a few times, so she's learning who isn't mom. Then she was bopping around and got her front two legs in the water bucket (it's not a deep one). She was stuck there for a bit - I decided to let her figure it out, unless she seemed to be in real trouble. It took her a few tries but she got out. I hated to leave, I'm such a worrier!

I put the twins in their new pen for the night. They now have a lot more room, and they had a blast running and jumping around like they're on pogo sticks!

@SheepGirl and @purplequeenvt - thanks for the replies. I'm going to let them out together longer this weekend and see how they do. That'll give them one more day of 'supervised visitation' and then I'll cross my fingers and see how it goes.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict Gracie will lamb by Sunday at the latest...

 

[AriesX]

Lambs can be such a pain. I'm glad she is getting better about accepting both. cute pics btw. Hopefully she is done with being a pain by the time the other one lambs.

 

[norseofcourse]

As of yesterday morning, Rose is with her lambs full time She still clearly favors the firstborn, but she lets them both nurse at the same time, and no longer seems hostile to her secondborn. I'm so glad she finally accepted him.

Gracie is still holding out, although a bit earlier this afternoon she was near the gate between her pasture and Elding's, and Elding was sniffing her butt. And she's holding her tail out and making a slight L shape with it, but not consistently. I have spinners later this afternoon, maybe she wants to make me miss it... lol