The One We've Been Looking For

Based on the date we removed the rams from the breeding groups our last possible lambing date would have been April 26.  India made us wait all the way to the afternoon of the 25th to finish our lambing season.  This tall ewe lamb weighed 15.5 lbs.   One is enough when they're that size.

The last lamb prior to that was born April 12 so she will be on a schedule all her own when it comes to vaccinations and such.  For right now she just has to concentrate on growing.

The rest of the lambs are eating nice alfalfa hay from the feeders with the adults.  Pretty soon we'll put up the creep gate so they can have their own space and eat all they want in an unhurried manner.  There is enough feeder space that no one is left out, but the ewes aren't generous and will push lambs aside with their heads to get the "best" hay.  They do need good nutrition now as they are milking their heaviest at this point.  Notice the milk froth fangs on this guy who must have just had a good snack.

Quite a few of the lambs are starting to chew a cud already.  But when they aren't playing or eating they spend a lot of time sleeping.  I like these siblings cuddling together.

Sleeping with mom.

Sleeping ON mom.

On mom but NOT sleeping.

This fella looks like he's thinking deep thoughts.

This one's thinking I've got a lot of nerve disturbing his nap.

All in all it's been a pretty good lambing.  Much better than last year, that's for sure.  Of 55 ewes in breeding groups 51 were settled. We had 85 lambs born alive.  One ewe lost twins - one fetus had expired for some reason and when it was expelled the other twin went with it and was stillborn as it was quite premature.  Another ewe had a stillborn lamb - dead several days - but the twin to it was hale and hearty so that was a nice surprise.  There are 40 ewe lambs and 45 ram lambs, so a nearly even split.  Of those 55 are white and the other 30 are black, spotted or black mottled with gray.  No losses so far.  ( I have to add that caveat to avoid a jinx.  That's the way it works.)

We have had a close call with this little tyke.

Peanut



Peanut is the smallest of a set of triplets.  She presented around April 10 with sudden lameness in her left hind leg.  Sometimes mom steps on a little footie so we didn't get too alarmed but by evening chores she was losing the ability to use her hindquarters.  Yikes.  Long story short, we're assuming either a traumatic back injury or a creeping spinal infection coming from her tail docking.  After a very bumpy 2 weeks with various drug regimens she seems to really be on the road to recovery. (Have to qualify that with "seems to" to avoid the jinx again.)  She's now a true bottle baby but she's so stinkin' cute and we're so glad she's improving that it's fine. 

We opened up a connecting alleyway and another section of pens and the lambs have a longer racecourse now.  They have a great time running - it's like waves on the beach coming in and going out.  They are starting to run out of steam toward the end.

 

Andy just finished clearing the old feed bunk of stored dirty bedding from the mid-winter barn cleaning.  We'll be opening the whole area up to the ewes with lambs soon and then there will really be some races!