[Jacob-list] Flying lambs

[Robert May]

GOOD MORNING MARY ELLEN...

WOW, THAT ORDEAL WITH THE 4-LEGS...MUST HAVE BEEN
PRETTY SCARY!  I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN
MIND IS "NOT TO PANIC"...SOMETIMES EASIER SAID THAN
DONE...ESPECIALLY FOR ANY "NEW" SHEPHERDS OUT
THERE...AND TO KEEP AN EYE ON ANY EWE THAT SEEMS TO BE
IN "DISTRESS". DON'T BE AFRAID TO LIFT UP THE EWE'S
TAIL AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.

HAVE ANY OF YOU HAD PROBLEMS WITH PROLAPSES?  HAD A
JACOB EWE EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH A PROLAPS...ABOUT THE
SIZE OF AN ORANGE.  I CLEANED IT OFF AND GENTLY PUSHED
IT BACK INSIDE.  (THAT WAS ABOUT 9PM).  CHECKED AT
11PM AND SHE WAS FINE.  (WENT TO BED)  NEXT MORNING AT
6AM, SHE WAS PROLAPSING AGAIN...AGAIN I CLEANED HER
OFF AND GENTLY PUSHED THE PROLAPSE BACK IN. (WENT TO  
WORK).  THAT EVENING WHEN I WAS FEEDING THE FLOCK I
NOTICED THAT THE SAME EWE WAS PROLAPSING
AGAIN...REPEATED PREVIOUS STEPS OF CLEANING AND GENTLY
PUSHING BACK IN.  FORTUNATELY, THE PROLAPSE NEVER
SEEMED TO GET ANY BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF AN "ORANGE".

THE NEXT MORNING I WAS A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT
GOING TO THE BARN...ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING "LOST" A
LITTLE EWE LAMB WHO DIED SOMETIME AFTER I FED/CHECKED
HER AT 3:30 AM....YOU KNOW, "THEY" SAY THINGS HAPPEN
IN "TWOS AND THREES".  I WAS SURPRISED...EVEN A BIT
ESTATIC TO FIND THAT THE "PROLAPSING EWE" HAD
DELIVERED A SET OF TWINS!  LAMBS WERE FIND, EWE WAS
FINE!

LAMB COUNT HERE IS NOW AT 34 (HAVING LOST THE ONE
LITTLE EWE LAMB); 22 EWES AND 12 RAMS...I THINK WE'RE
ABOUT HALF-WAY THROUGH LAMBING.

REGARDS,
BOB 
--- Mary Hansson <buffgeese at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Bob,
> 
> Since you asked.....My WORST lambing story:
> 
> Jacob ewe delivering twins at age of 3 I think....
> 
> She was not progressing and not really acting like a
> ewe in labor would be acting---no apparent pushing
> after awhile, and just looked miserable.  Can't
> recall
> if she had passed water bags initially for me to be
> certain of labor, but there was SOME GOOD REASON.
> 
> Called vet...kept watching...nothing.
> 
> Eventually, I saw something---foot pointed the wrong
> direction.  Sure sign of backwards lamb.
> 
> No progress.....
> 
> Went in and found FOUR BACKWARDS LEGS.....
> 
> Not only are there 4 backwards legs, but it took
> forever to figure out which leg attached to which
> body
> and belonged to the other leg without losing the
> first
> one----and they were all at the same level.
> 
> BOTH LAMBS WERE DETERMINED TO BE FIRST (Isaac and
> Jacob come to mind for anybody??).  
> 
> I eventually had to get BOTH hands up in this poor
> girl.  .... hold the one lamb back......dislodge him
> from his brother......pull the first out.  Got that
> one out, up and breathing.....Mom happier....Went
> back
> in and pulled second lamb out.....never got that one
> going.
> 
> That was THE WORST lambing experience I have had.  I
> am so thankful any intervention is rare with these
> sheep.
> 
> Second worst was when a ewe had a ram lamb that was
> too big to come out unassisted.  She had given up
> when
> I got home.  Called son.  Locked up ewe.  Son
> (somewhere around 10 at the time) haltered ewe up
> and
> hung on for dear life while I pulled and tugged, and
> lubricated for all I had in me.  Got very happy and
> relieved lamb and mom separated.  Both did well.
> 
> MEH
> 
> 
> =====
> Mary Ellen Hansson, MEd, RD, LDN
> ISeeSpots Farm
> Jacob Sheep:  Lambs, adults, wool
> www.iseespots.com
>