The mother had already cleaned them up and the afterbirth had also been fully delivered. Not much for me to do other than spray iodine on their navels, checking each of the two ewe's teats were producing milk and direct the lambs in their general direction. The ewe and two lambs had a matching number 1 sprayed on them so that eventually it will be clear which lamb belongs to which ewe when they are let out to the turnout paddock.
At this point it is best to leave them alone to work things out for themselves but to return for a periodic check to be sure that the lambs are suckling. The all-important thing is that they suckle within the first 6 hours to ensure they have their share of the high nutrient and protective antibodies of colostrum. This makes for a long night but when matters go smoothly as Nature planned, it is a reassuring feeling.
Hope the weather improves so they can get outside - nothing to beat watching lambs running and jumping
ReplyDeleteYes, hoping for some spring weather soon!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to see new life entering the world like this. Always a sign of hope...
ReplyDeleteI know sheep are livestock, but is there a dearer creature on earth than a new born lamb? I'm always impressed with the care shown to your animals each spring.
ReplyDeleteHello Sue, yes they are very cute and even more so in a few weeks time when, generally late every afternoon, they run up and down the pasture field together as a group. They sometimes also like to jump up and down on the spot with what seems to be an overwhelming sense of delight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post which restores a feeling that something is right in the world. If only all the city bound children glued to their i-Pads could see the miracle of these wonderful gentle creatures!
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