[Jacob-list] Unfortunate lambs

[Johann K]

One of my ewes aborted two lambs yesterday, and they were at very 
different gestational stages.  The larger one was pretty far along, with
 wool starting to grow in.  Hooves were still soft and jelly like with 
the actual hard part only half grown in.  Eyes not fully developed yet. 
 When I opened it's eyes they just looked dull and foggy.  It was a 
beautifully marked ram lamb though.  I'd say it was due to be born 
within the next few weeks to a month.  It's twin was only a fraction of 
it's size.  So small that it came out still in it's sack and I didn't 
realize there was a lamb inside.  I just thought it was some after 
birth.  As an afterthought I broke open the sack and found it.  It had 
no wool at all yet, and ears completely flat against it's head.  The 
bones in its skull had not fused yet, and I think it may have been a 
female.  It was so small that it was hard to tell.  I figured that maybe
 the smaller lamb had died for whatever reason weeks or even months ago 
and the mother's body finally got around to rejecting it with the good 
lamb in tow.  Now, I'm starting to wonder though.  The small lamb didn't
 seem rotten, or any more dead smelling than the large one.  Is it 
possible that they were two separate overlapping pregnancies?  I've read
 this can happen.

The ewe gave no signs that anything was wrong 
before this happened.  She had been active and energetic as usual.  
After aborting she just went about her usual business eating and 
following me around shouting.  I read that an infection can be a cause 
for abortion, but it wouldn't explain the huge difference in 
developmental ages.  Before I disposed of the them I took some pictures 
of the bigger one.  

I know it's too late to do anything, but I wanted to share what happened since it seems so strange.

Johann 		 	   		  
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