[Jacob-list] Flying lambs

[Robert May]

GOOD MORNING LINDA...HAVING READY YOUR ACCOUNT AND
MARY ELLENS, I GUESS WE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY "LUCKY"
WITH OUR LAMBING EXPERIENCES.  I GUESS ANOTHER THING
TO KEEP IN MIND (ESPECIALLY FOR THE "NEW" SHEPHERDS
OUT THERE) IS THAT WITH EWES OVER 1 YEAR SHOULD
(TYPICALLY) HAVE TWINS.  IF, YOU HAPPEN TO BE PRESENT
WHEN THE EWE IS LAMBING...BEST TO STAY AROUND AND WAIT
FOR THE 2ND ONE TO ARRIVE.  IF THE EWE IS IN
"DISTRESS"...MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO GO "INSIDE"
AND CHECK.

I WAS PRESENT THE OTHER DAY WHEN ONE OF OUR JACOB EWES
WAS LAMBING.  (THIS EWE, ONE OF MY FAVORITES) HAS
PREVIOUSLY HAD TWINS AND ONE SET OF TRIPLETS.  FIRST
LAMBED POPPED OUT JUST FINE (SO I WENT ON ABOUT MY
CHORES) CAME BACK ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES LATER AND THERE
WAS NO 2ND LAMB.  HUNG AROUND AND SAW THAT THIS EWE
"LADY JANET" WAS DEFINITELLY "IN LABOR" SO I WENT IN
THE PEN, LIFTED HER TAIL AND SAW "2 LEGS"...GAVE A
GENTLE TUG AND THE 2ND LAMB DROPPED OUT.  WHILE I'M
SURE THAT JANET WOULD HAVE PASSED THE 2ND LAMB
UNASISTED, SINCE I WAS PRESENT AND THINGS WEREN'T
PROGRESSING LIKE I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD, I DIDN'T
HESITATE TO "CHECK".  (BOTH LAMBS, AND "MOM" ARE DOING
FINE).

REGARDS,
BOB
--- Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net> wrote:

> 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:
> 
> 
>