I thought I'd post a follow-up to the entry about Elsie and Mia being soooooo huge ten days before lambs were due.Monday night at 10:00 when I did a barn check, I thought Elsie might be in early labour. At 2:00 AM when I did my next barn check, I thought she might be in early labour, as she did lie down and gave a half-hearted push. There was no change at 6:00 AM ... just the occassional half-hearted push.
At 8:00 AM, Erato lambed and Elsie went crazy trying to get to that lamb. She continued to do half-hearted pushes, but not often and not for long. There was never a sign of hard labour. Never the less, I had to leave at 9:40 to get to work for a couple of hours, so I decided to go in and check on things.
The first lamb was wedged sideways. I pushed it back in, turned it and pulled it out. It was dead. I went back to get the next, and the next, and the next, and the next. QUINTS ... and all dead. It was about the saddest thing I have ever done. I left them with Elsie to keep her distracted until I could milk out cholostrum.
As I was getting the halter, I noticed that Mia had delivered a little lamb ... then another, and another, and another ... QUADS. My heart got the better of me and I took the smallest two lambs (ewe lambs) and rolled them in with Elsie's dead babies. Elsie was elated to finally have movement from her pile of dead babies. Seeing her so happy after what she had been through, was a much better reward than a little more cholostrum in the freezer.
They are pictured below ... WillowGarden Elsie Marley, with WillowGarden Abyssinia & WillowGarden Ethiopia.
To see this happy family nestled together with such love ... gives me goose bumps.
May I always shepherd by my heart!
4 comments:
Such a sad ending to Elsie's pregnancy. What a wonderful thing you did for her. You are an amazing shepherd!
What an angelic face full of love Elsie has in that photo! Natural selection be damned; shepherds have been intervening for millenia. I think it is wonderful that both ewes will have twins to raise.
Now tell me: HOW did you get quints and quads? (Not that I would want them; I think trips would be plenty for me and the ewe.) Has anyone else reported quints? Does AI increase the chances of multiple births? Were they sired by the same AI ram?
Bravo Bill - a very sad, and a very
heartwarming and happy story at the same time.
Best of luck with the rest of your lambing.
Bill,
What a touching story both on the sad and the uplifting side. The live lambs are a blessing to both ewes. Hoping the rest of your lambing is on the happy side!
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