Barb: Great recounting of your day. I have not posted to the list in a while due to this being my lambing season.. It was supposed to be about 2 months earlier, but Spike must have talked to the Union steward and got my old wether, Blackie, to work for him about 7 months back.
I have had an average of at least 2 new lambs every morning for the last 2 weeks. I have 2 sets of triplets with one mama having a sore udder. I am bottle feeding the runt and it is doing pretty well. Dad came back from getting his mail yesterday afternoon and said I had one more and probably ne more on the way. Mama was under his front porch. I went to check on her, and noticed only one leg out, and she decided we were to play ring around the rosie while she ran under and around the porch steps. I finally went over the porch and caught her neck while hanging off the porch. She won, I lost... Then I chased her through the canola pasture and down the drive while carrying the newborn. She had a little more protrusion after the second trip down the drive, the nose was out, but still only one leg. I figured all the jostling would keep the lamb stimulated and would not give up... Finally got her into the large pen and made two passes to get her cornered. No good. She went around the tank we turned into a sheep barn. It is round. ever try to catch a sheep by yourself by chasing her around a round barn. On the outside no less. I grabbed a cattle panel tied next to the fence and pulled it out to hed her into the round barn door. Needed about another 6 feet to make it. If I keep her moving I can corner her into the fence before she goes around the panel.......... Right, great plan. Cornered her, caught her, she takes off and goes thru my arms and I now have the right back hock in my right hand. While being laid straight out behind her.... I hung on, pulled and grabbed and threw her down on her side. Sat or actually laid on top of her while grabbing the protruding leg to save the lamb. Got IT!!!! A live lamb!! tickled its nose with a grass straw and it sneezed. Stuck it under mama's nose, she is now standing, and I am on my knees.. She starts licking and it cries. Now, where did I put that other Lamb??? Oh Yeah, it is still down the drive next to the telephone pole..... When I get up, I start crying... In pain.. It gets pretty bad to have to chase them down to pull a lamb. Especially at 300 lbs and 53 years old.... I crawled back over to the four wheeler. I had left it at Dad's front porch, picked up the lamb that was trying to bond with the telephone pole, and delivered it to the new mama.. She looked at me as if to say... Oh, There it is, Silly Me!!!! Drove the four wheeler back over to the barn where my Dad is sitting reading the mail. He asks, "Have any trouble with her??" "No Daddy not a bit..." Mother in Law has been throwing a fit for us to come in and eat. So I get cleaned up, been putting a new bed cover on the pickup. It is made of alumin um panels and folds up. Really looks great and makes the bed secure when traveling. Got bvack home about 10:45 last night. One ewe with 2 new lambs, one decided to start... Still got good clothes on. She can't wait, and I see two feet but no nose. Wait a few more contractions, but they are really intense and she is in a lotta pain. Gotta help or lose a lamb. Head is there but neck is not stretched out to aproach well. Work with her about five minutes to get it started. another live lamb!!!!!! First time my wife ever saw one born. I go to the house to change clothes. Get back, she is now licking another one and looking for some extra grain like her suitemate has!! Ok it is 12:30 am. got everybody with hay, grain, and water. Get back out to the shop at 9:00 am this morning. Dad asks " You sleeping in this morning? You oughta get to bed once in a while instead of running all over The City all night!!" " Yeah, these late hours are killing me." However, when I just went out to check on everybody, and they come up to nuzzle a hand to check if it has a candy bar or a cookie, and I get to pet a few without them darting off, it seems worthwhile... Who needs sleep anyway?? Had to stop and think, is it 31 new lambs or 33? All in the last 3 weeks. Cecil Bearden, Piedmont, OK > The old saying goes, "He who cuts his own firewood is twice warmed." > Perhaps that could be paraphrased to say, > > "He who raises his own food is twice nourished." > > Best regards, > Barb Lee > > _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info
