[Jacob-list] lambs

[Betty Berlenbach]

Now, do y'all find that the dazed and confused first timers are sheep who were bred as lambs?  I don't seem to have dazed and confused first time mothers, but I never breed lambs...so wondering...

Mine lamb at all different times: same mothers don't lamb at same time each year.  I have a couple of ewes who prefer privacy, and won't lamb if I'm anywhere around, but seem able to wait til I either go to bed, go out, go inside, whatever.  They get this smug, who needs you look on their faces when they present their lambs...from a distance, of course, for inspection. Then there are the ones who like company, someone to talk to til the process gets serious, and then someone to be there with them and sing to them or coach them on...and all gradations in between.  They make it very clear which camp they fall into...I stay with those who want me to stay, and leave when ordered to do so.  I had one who made it totally clear by a combination of stamps and cries and following that I was to stay, but sit in THAT chair, over there, 20 feet from her, and between her and my houseguest who was out watching from 30 feet!  If I got up from my chair and tried to go  in the house, toward her, anywhere, I heard from her!  Then there was the one who faked labor to get in at the good hay.  And the one who would NOT be penned, and while in transition, just about to give birth, flexed her legs, and jumped straight into the air, over the 35 inch high pen sides, pausing after landing on the other side to give me a look which is not translatable into into English on this list!  It was quite clear...I left, she got on with it.  I don't interfere with her lambing anymore!
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20050217/40e2aa99/attachment.html