URGENT - Ewe stopping labour between twins?!

[shepherdO]

Okay, well, I think that's that. Sabine, a first timer at 2 years old (what's that called again?), delivered a very small ewe lamb unassisted this morning, a day ahead of schedule. She is smaller than the smallest of my three TRIPLETS! I gave it a go having the ewe foster my 4 day old bottle bay... no luck. The little bit of afterbirth I found outside by the newly born lamb was frozen-ish, so I couldn't get enough on little Tim-Tam. I later tried the same trick with the afterbirth (not sure there was even a point to that...) and all I have is a bloodied little bottle baby now... uggh...

Anyhoo, what are your thoughts about keeping either of the ewes? Sabine wasn't very rotund, so I thought she'd probably only have one. She lambed unassisted, but the ewe was very small, and she has essentially no udder. I stripped the teats and showed held her against the wall while I showed the lamb how to nurse, as the mum wasn't letting her - not from neglect, just out of interest in her new baby. Mum is very doting, so that's good.

I'm guessing the lamb is about 6 lbs? Pretty small for a single, correct? Black as midnight, and was up while still wet and a bit of sac still on her when I found her this morning.

Mother is a twin. We shall see.

Thanks for the input. I'm proud that I guessed she'd have it tonight based on discharge, behaviour (more energetic, of all things), etc. I almost didn't get up at 3:00AM to check on her but I'm glad I did.

Now time for a half hour break before I go out to feed the other sheep, and then shower and off to work to try to teach (ie, corral) my class of ten-year old human babies, all on 3 hours of sleep (I was up until midnight working on report cards).


ShepherO

 

[shepherdO]

Never mind. Bottle of Depocillin says 3.5 ml. Done. Mum is lying down a lot, as is the lamb, but she's actually pretty healthy, 9lbs, heavier than I thought, and she appears to be nursing regularly.

However, I tried to milk a little colostrum to have on hand 'just in case' in the future, and she has a tiny little udder. Could only really strip out two squirts on the one side I tried. There was probably a little more, but definitely not a big udder at all! I wonder if she's producing enough - I know size doesn't always equate to milk capacity, and she's also a first-timer.

Still...

 

[Baymule]

I milked 3 different ewes this time. The milk comes out in small squirts, I only got a little each time, but it was enough to get the lamb up and moving. Lambs suckle a little at a time. Think about it, they are small, their tummies are even smaller. They seem to nurse often, the lamb is getting more than you think.

 

[Sheepshape]

Added to what Baymule said, the colostrum is really thick so flows very slowly. After a day or two the milk comes in and is much thinner.