Lambing question

[Amy]

Seems like everytime I turn around there's a new lamb.

 

Yesterday the one ewe that is very wild and difficult to work with lambed. I noticed her and quietly went out to check, well as soon as I entered the field she started freaking out..took just enough time to see a little head and that she had been cleaning it..She still had the afterbirth in her. Then I retreated..kept an eye on her from a distance..after she delivered the afterbirth, I sneaked in and did the navel and left.

 

This morning she was still in the same place and went to put her some water closer..That's when I found the second lamb..dead..it was completely out of the sack and looked like it had been cleaned off..but it also appeared like it had never taken a breathe or even moved..Also appeared small..

 

Now I feel like if I had checked better maybe I could of saved it..However on the other hand I feel like maybe it was just one of those things and I couldn't have made a difference.

 

What do you guys think??

[Amy]

Thanks Inci,

Yes she is a first timer. At least it appeared that she had mothered it and she is a very good mother to her remaining baby.

 

On the upside...

all my ewes are first timers, of the three ewes that have lambed all have had twins..the five babies are very robust and lively..Oh yes they are all ewe lambs..Seems like we are beating the law of averages..All look very much like the ram..who was only 6 months old when we put him to work..

[Bill Fosher]

Amy

 

A surefire way to tell if a lamb has gotten up is to check its hooves. There's a pretty thin membrane covering the bottom of to foot that wears off after about two steps.

 

One strong and one weak or dead lamb can be a symptom of any of serveral diseases that cause abortion. It's something to keep an eye on, and if you start seeing a pattern to get concerned about.