Labor Intensive

We all know that after diligently watching mares due to foal, goats due to kid, and cows due to calve, a frenzied 10 minute shower, or trip to the store will induce rapid and active labor. This holds true with sheep as well.

Pet-ewe-nya (Tooney) has been in the barn, under the camera for a week now. She has had a little bag and got a little haircut, so in the event she DID have a lamb it could find aforementioned bag, and has been the center of countless questions regarding imminent signs of lambing from anyand every source I could ask, email or read. The results were kinda of: it’s a crap shoot, watch her for not wanting to eat, for wanting to be alone, for a darker pink ‘hoo hoo'...and the most reliable sign that she is about to lamb is her having a head at each end.

No changes have occurred. She lies down in the same place everyday, close to the common wall with Free Wooly. She has practiced identical habits for the entire week, day and night, so at least I know what is ‘normal’ for her.

Desperately needing clean straw for her stall, and a complete lack of changes, I headed for town with the boss and his wife. I picked up supplies for the animals, a few replacement chicks, and straw.

Randyman called about 3 in the afternoon to tell me there was a lamb in Tooney’s stall.

 So, I have an extra bale of straw now.

She had just one lamb, a ramlet (I made that up) I'm pretty sure he would be considered a buckling, like a goat. Randyman had found the little guy before noon, already up, dry and sucking. I have little doubt she had him before we were out of the driveway. I asked if he was sure she didn’t have another one coming and we decided, no, not if he is dry and been hanging around this long. She was in no distress and there was no evidence left of her having lambed, so she had already ‘cleaned up the maternity ward’.

He has huge spots, like an Appy horse, we therefore, have been calling him “Appaloo-samb”(of course, the "B" is silent...) He’s kind of scrawny and it was cold, so in the absence of a sibling to cuddle with, I cut the leg off of a an old pair of sweats and put it on him. Sort of a ‘tube top’ for lambs. What can I say? We are trendy. Such great ideas can be found on the internet!