Today was a busy day to start with plenty to get done around house and farm, as well as off site errands to run.
I kept checking the sheep at intervals to see if anyone was showing signs of labor, as I went about my various chores.
Around 12:30 we were departing on said - off site errands when I noticed Annie, our yearling ewe addition from Stillmeadow Finnsheep, in 2013, lying under the "birthing tree" with two tiny lambs.
One was up and vigorously looking for the teats, the other was shivering on the ground not making any noise or attempting to stand.
Mom, a first timer, was still trying to sort everything out.
Hubby and I worked to get mom and lambs up and into a jug out of the increasing wind, and stabilize the group.
Hubby is excellent at coaching newborns on the fine art of finding the teat so he began with a small syringe ( minus the needle of course ) filled with colostrum from Annie, and introduced it to the lamb. He began to show signs of increasing energy, and with help from Hubby, stood, baaed and actively sought, found and nursed from mom. All good.
We departed for errands sure that the new family was well, only an hour behind schedule.
Not too shabby! :-)
Tomorrow promises to be a really busy day if my calculations are correct.
Regards,
Kathryn
Pics to follow .
Friday, May 2, 2014
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Loss Happens
Today I decided to let the ewes into the small grass pastures to graze.
Upon returning from opening the fields, I walked through the shelter and discovered something I've never encountered before, a premature lamb, deceased. My guess is that it was stillborn.
I set about identifying the dam, and spotted her without any difficulty as she hadn't passed the placenta.
She was a young ewe, 11 months old. She bred too early and for reasons unknown to me, couldn't sustain the lamb. Perfect but for the obvious need to develop yet a bit more. I think another two weeks might have done it, but such was not to be.
So, one goes out in the morning to do what is expected to be routine chores and never knows will one will find.
I finally was able to capture both Ebonys' and Cadens' lambs to my satisfaction via digital camera for dummies ( just kidding ) and I am posting now. I hope you enjoy them.
Regards,
Kathryn
All lambs pictured are for sale upon weaning. Please contact me for details.
Upon returning from opening the fields, I walked through the shelter and discovered something I've never encountered before, a premature lamb, deceased. My guess is that it was stillborn.
I set about identifying the dam, and spotted her without any difficulty as she hadn't passed the placenta.
She was a young ewe, 11 months old. She bred too early and for reasons unknown to me, couldn't sustain the lamb. Perfect but for the obvious need to develop yet a bit more. I think another two weeks might have done it, but such was not to be.
So, one goes out in the morning to do what is expected to be routine chores and never knows will one will find.
I finally was able to capture both Ebonys' and Cadens' lambs to my satisfaction via digital camera for dummies ( just kidding ) and I am posting now. I hope you enjoy them.
Regards,
Kathryn
All lambs pictured are for sale upon weaning. Please contact me for details.
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| Ebony and her ewe and ram lambs |
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| Cadens' ram lamb |
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| Cadens/ ram lamb |
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| Cadens' ram lamb |
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| Ebonys' ewe and ram lamb |
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| What's funny about this is that the lambs are two young to begin to eat yet they mimic what mom does in preparation for the coming day when they can. Too cute! |
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Over due lamb pics
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| Head,socks, tail pattern with panda eyes. |
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| Caden and her lambs - 3 ram lambs |
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| Amelia making sure its safe to take the new lambs outside. |
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| Yes, sheep can count, and Amelia is, just to make sure they are all there. |
Ho Hum.
I am waiting for the flood gates of lambing, and its like sitting on a boiling pot. It never seems to get to the boiling point. All these ewes are holding onto lambs.
Bridgette looks like she could be the next to go. She could have quadruplets in there, its hard to tell with a full fleece.
I have only shorn one ewe so far as the weather keeps bouncing from warm to cold.
Ebony had twin head,socks,tail black lambs and did very well for a first timer. She has a ram and a ewe. Amelia has two rams and a ewe and Caden, three rams. 8 lambs so far, 6 rams 2 ewes. 3 white, 5 black hst.
Interesting so far. I have two greys, a brown, and three more blacks along with the rest of the white ewes to lamb and I'm curious to see if I'll have spotted lambs this year. That pattern is always fun since it can manifest in so many different ways.
Sorry for the lack of pics, but the lambs simply will not co operate. I'll keep at it though, until I get something presentable.
Regards,
Kathryn
Monday, April 28, 2014
Monday - Can't Trust That Day?
Quick check in here folks, before the day begins to unfold.
Sun lighting up the trees across the road as I type this and figure out how to proceed today.
Looking out on the ewe pasture I see one or two ewes that could lamb today so you can bet I'm not going anywhere and have the oven timer set for regular intervals to remind me to look in on everyone. I hate to miss a lambing if I don't have to. I like to witness so I know who was born first, who was breech, if anyone, who was last, who struggled and who passed the placenta. Not being there means I don't always get that info and it leaves blanks in the lambing history along with unanswered questions.
The youngest lambs of Ebonys' have made it through the night and my goal today is to shear both Ebony and Caden now that I don't need to worry about them being in late gestation.
We'll see how the shoulder holds out as the day progresses. Thankfully it seems to be mending and each day I get more pain free use of it. Last night I actually was able for the first time in weeks, to lie flat to sleep. Thank God.
Okay, I'm off and will keep you posted as the day unfolds.
Regards,
Kathryn
Sun lighting up the trees across the road as I type this and figure out how to proceed today.
Looking out on the ewe pasture I see one or two ewes that could lamb today so you can bet I'm not going anywhere and have the oven timer set for regular intervals to remind me to look in on everyone. I hate to miss a lambing if I don't have to. I like to witness so I know who was born first, who was breech, if anyone, who was last, who struggled and who passed the placenta. Not being there means I don't always get that info and it leaves blanks in the lambing history along with unanswered questions.
The youngest lambs of Ebonys' have made it through the night and my goal today is to shear both Ebony and Caden now that I don't need to worry about them being in late gestation.
We'll see how the shoulder holds out as the day progresses. Thankfully it seems to be mending and each day I get more pain free use of it. Last night I actually was able for the first time in weeks, to lie flat to sleep. Thank God.
Okay, I'm off and will keep you posted as the day unfolds.
Regards,
Kathryn
Sunday, April 27, 2014
The Joint is Jumpin'
Caden this morning, and her daughter Ebony this afternoon.
In between watching Caden and her lambs, letting Amelia and her lambs out to graze for the first time and figuring out how we will do shopping and chores, we look down into the main shelter and hubby declares, " what the heck? Theres' a lamb down there! ". So closer inspection reveals it is Ebony, a two year old black ewe - daughter of Caden and grand daughter of Amelia.
Sure enough she had a HST ( head,socks,tail ) black ram lamb. New to the experience she was doing fine until our presence caught the attention of the rest of the flock who immediately set upon us in hope of grain, and proceeded to inspect Ebony's lamb, throwing her off her game just a bit.
In no time we had the matter settled. Ebony is currently in her private jug with both a ram and ewe lamb. Both are black HSTs and seem to be doing well. Mom is getting the hang of it.
In the meanwhile Caden is resting and the lambs are cuddled up to each other napping.
And it's only 1:50 p.m. Still plenty of time left for a few more....wish me energy, and easy lambings with no loss and no mishap.
Todays' total so far is 5 - 1 ewe, 4 rams, 1 white 4 HST black.
Total to date - 8
Thank you Lord!
Regards,
Kathryn
In between watching Caden and her lambs, letting Amelia and her lambs out to graze for the first time and figuring out how we will do shopping and chores, we look down into the main shelter and hubby declares, " what the heck? Theres' a lamb down there! ". So closer inspection reveals it is Ebony, a two year old black ewe - daughter of Caden and grand daughter of Amelia.
Sure enough she had a HST ( head,socks,tail ) black ram lamb. New to the experience she was doing fine until our presence caught the attention of the rest of the flock who immediately set upon us in hope of grain, and proceeded to inspect Ebony's lamb, throwing her off her game just a bit.
In no time we had the matter settled. Ebony is currently in her private jug with both a ram and ewe lamb. Both are black HSTs and seem to be doing well. Mom is getting the hang of it.
In the meanwhile Caden is resting and the lambs are cuddled up to each other napping.
And it's only 1:50 p.m. Still plenty of time left for a few more....wish me energy, and easy lambings with no loss and no mishap.
Todays' total so far is 5 - 1 ewe, 4 rams, 1 white 4 HST black.
Total to date - 8
Thank you Lord!
Regards,
Kathryn
Triplets for Caden!!!!
You may know that a painful shoulder injury has left me sidelined these last few weeks, which is why the regular communications have ceased.
Between the pain, fine tuning the medication, and being unable to use my right arm at all, there hasn't been much for me to do but sleep, take meds, sleep and see the Dr.
These last few days have seen improvement in pain and some return of the use of my arm/hand and I've been slowly returning to the world of the living.
With an eye on the ewes for any signs of impending labor, I moved Caden into her new digs, and reoriented Amelia and her lambs to another shelter. Yesterdays' observations of Caden told me to expect lambs, but by nightfall other than some early signs, there was nothing to indicate imminent birth. I suspected she would lamb overnight. Experience has taught me this is more like early morning hours.
I also moved one of the first timers - Elvyra- another of Amelias' daughters, into a jug of her own out of the windy rain, but didn't see sure signs of lambing. This move was more of a case of "better safe than sorry" though I'm sure she will lamb over the next few days.
With dawn's early light, I saw Caden with a white lamb, and donned the clothes/boots/jacket/gloves to go see.
What a girl! I love this ewe!
Three brand new, good sized lambs, more or less dry, on their feet and seemed to be familiar with the location of the teats alluding to having already had that live giving first swig of moms' milk.
One white ewe, one black ewe with panda eyes, and one black ram with panda eyes. So beautiful, all three. Looks like the white ewe was the last because she still seemed to be drying from the birth. All alert, looking fine.
Caden herself seemed to be showing them to me, so proud. A usually stand-offish ewe, she gave kisses and wanted rubs and scratches which she readily got for a job well done.
My brown ram Andy, is now a proven breeder. I'm so pleased with him, Caden and their offspring.
I'm so glad it was only three. Last year she had five. Three is good. :-)
Elvyra is still holding quietly.
The day is rainy, gloomy and raw, my shoulder aches, but Thank You Lord for this abundance of fine,healthy new life.
Pics later!
Regards,
Kathryn
Between the pain, fine tuning the medication, and being unable to use my right arm at all, there hasn't been much for me to do but sleep, take meds, sleep and see the Dr.
These last few days have seen improvement in pain and some return of the use of my arm/hand and I've been slowly returning to the world of the living.
With an eye on the ewes for any signs of impending labor, I moved Caden into her new digs, and reoriented Amelia and her lambs to another shelter. Yesterdays' observations of Caden told me to expect lambs, but by nightfall other than some early signs, there was nothing to indicate imminent birth. I suspected she would lamb overnight. Experience has taught me this is more like early morning hours.
I also moved one of the first timers - Elvyra- another of Amelias' daughters, into a jug of her own out of the windy rain, but didn't see sure signs of lambing. This move was more of a case of "better safe than sorry" though I'm sure she will lamb over the next few days.
With dawn's early light, I saw Caden with a white lamb, and donned the clothes/boots/jacket/gloves to go see.
What a girl! I love this ewe!
Three brand new, good sized lambs, more or less dry, on their feet and seemed to be familiar with the location of the teats alluding to having already had that live giving first swig of moms' milk.
One white ewe, one black ewe with panda eyes, and one black ram with panda eyes. So beautiful, all three. Looks like the white ewe was the last because she still seemed to be drying from the birth. All alert, looking fine.
Caden herself seemed to be showing them to me, so proud. A usually stand-offish ewe, she gave kisses and wanted rubs and scratches which she readily got for a job well done.
My brown ram Andy, is now a proven breeder. I'm so pleased with him, Caden and their offspring.
I'm so glad it was only three. Last year she had five. Three is good. :-)
Elvyra is still holding quietly.
The day is rainy, gloomy and raw, my shoulder aches, but Thank You Lord for this abundance of fine,healthy new life.
Pics later!
Regards,
Kathryn
Friday, April 18, 2014
First Names of 2014
I am nursing an injured shoulder, and unfortunately keyboarding seems to be the thing that sends it into a frenzy so I will keep this short.
We have settled on names for Amelias' lambs and they are:
Lamb #1 - ewe lamb - Glynis
Lamb #2 - ram lamb - Glen
Lamb # 3 - ram lamb with dark nose and hooves - Guthrie.
The day is wonderfully mild and sunny, with yesterday being the removal of the lammy jammy from Glen. He had all day to acclimate to being without and despite 29 degrees last night came through with flying colors so it looks as if any intervention on my part from this point forward is unnecessary.
The shoulder is holding me back a bit but tomorrow we will be moving Caden up to her new birthing area, Amelia and the lambs will move into a different area, and we will see about getting Caden a haircut prior to her lambs arriving on Monday. Hopefully she will be the only one lambing but one or two more could join her, we'll have to wait and see.
Regards,
Kathryn
We have settled on names for Amelias' lambs and they are:
Lamb #1 - ewe lamb - Glynis
Lamb #2 - ram lamb - Glen
Lamb # 3 - ram lamb with dark nose and hooves - Guthrie.
The day is wonderfully mild and sunny, with yesterday being the removal of the lammy jammy from Glen. He had all day to acclimate to being without and despite 29 degrees last night came through with flying colors so it looks as if any intervention on my part from this point forward is unnecessary.
The shoulder is holding me back a bit but tomorrow we will be moving Caden up to her new birthing area, Amelia and the lambs will move into a different area, and we will see about getting Caden a haircut prior to her lambs arriving on Monday. Hopefully she will be the only one lambing but one or two more could join her, we'll have to wait and see.
Regards,
Kathryn
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| Caden and her 2013 lambs |
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