Lambing 2024

The first three ewes lambed on 13th, 16th, and 17th of April, and since then we've been waiting and waiting and waiting for Greedy.

Friday afternoon I thought she was acting like she might lamb that evening or the next day so I increased the frequency of my checks.  6pm nothing happening.  6:30pm two lambs are out, but as you can see in this first photo, the white lamb is just lying there rather lifelessly...

 

 

She's alive, so I'm rubbing her and holding her inside my coat to warm her up, but she's not really showing much in the way of spark.  I quickly send Danny to the shop for colostrum before the shop closes and I get some in her and she seems to improve a bit, but only temporarily.  Finally I take the decision to bring them into the barn overnight as neither lamb really looks like it would survive outside.

 

Spent several hours trying to warm the lambs and feed them and by the time I decide to go to bed at about 11:30 the black lamb is looking a little more alive but I'm totally unsure if the white one will survive the night -- there were quite a few moments when I just thought she was going to die in my arms and she was being very lethargic and also would fall over on to her left side and be unable to get up repeatedly.

 

 

 

Two days on I am pleased to report that my efforts have paid off and she is now doing lamb things like wagging her tail and jumping.  They'll stay in for another few days yet until both lambs are much more vigorous, but at least I don't have a dead lamb on my conscience...

 

 

Lessons learned for next time: More colostrum sooner...

 

And that's a wrap for Lambing 2024 -- eight lambs from four ewes -- four boys and four girls, and four black and four not black!

 

Roll on shearing!  :)