[Jacob-list] Flying lambs

[Linda]

The first (of only two times) that I ever had to pull a lamb, the ewe was in terrible distress with nothing of the lamb showing.  (I had pulled a foal before - lots more room to work!)  Deciding to dive in, reciting the lambing manual under my breath and searching for a leg, a head, a tail, anything - I was abit taken back to find a rib cage and farther back some legs.  None of the lambing manuals covered this situation!  After doing some streamlining, I was able to pull the lamb - who was inside out with the ribcage and upper organs on the outside - kinda folded back - and was alive.   He didn't live very long, though.  His twin sister was born right after and was normal, although she never did conceive, so may have had some problem.  I feel ready to tackle anything after that experience! I figure I have gotten my worst lambing experience over and it's all up from that one.

Our matriarch ewe, RubyBelle, is getting close to her 9th lambing.  She has always insisted on lambing under the same tree, even going so far as to stand by the fence bleating if she were fenced away from her tree.   Once the gate opens, she's off to lamb under her tree.  We moved last fall and I'm hoping she has picked a new tree.  I'll have the top on the pickup, though - just in case it gets desperate and I have to take her back to her tree before she will lamb :-)  She's quite an independent minded girl.

Linda
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:36:57 -0800 (PST), Mary Hansson wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Since you asked.....My WORST lambing story: