[Jacob-list] prinmitive

[Betty Berlenbach]

I am lambing out a group of stump-dumb romney/corrie/god knows what cross sheep for a friend who goes south for the winter.  Four out of the eight have lambed: the first would only feed one lamb; the second had a 15 pound lamb that had to be pulled, and hard!; the third had one side of her udder swell up and be unproductive (these are yearlings, first lambing); the fourth won't feed her baby so I have to pin her several times a day so he can eat.  Each took on average four hours to deliver the baby from when I noticed they were in labor, and there was gook coming out.  EAch took 45 minutes to stand up again, and had to have their babies brought to their head to be cleaned off.  EAch baby took upwards of 30 minutes to begin the search for milk.  Now, does anyone need any more definition of what isn't primitive?  My jacobs are on average less than an hour from gook out the back, babies up within 10 minutes, sucking 5 minutes later, I'm back in bed less than an hour from start...that is IF I'm even there!  I generally go to bed after 11 p.m. check, and any who haven't shown me with weird behavior or a look that they want me there for the birth which they know is coming, is on her own until 7 a.m.  I haven't lost a lamb in 5 years.  Of these four I just lambed out, probably two would be dead if I hadn't been there, and possibly three...Now, I am reminded of why I got rid of standardized breeds and went for the most primitive looking and acting jacobs I could find.  If they need help, they need selling to someone who doesn't mind dependent sheep!  And I sure wouldn't breed them to make more of same!
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