Co Co gave birth just how it should be done - in the sunshine and on pasture on April 13. Both are beautiful boys who weighed about 6 1/2 pounds each. One black/grey mouflon and the other is a beautiful black/grey. This is the second set of twins by our new ram, Woden.
Fang gave birth on the evening of the 13th with two flashy black spotted ewe lambs. Both weighed about 6 pounds each. I am keeping one of these beauties. Fang has one of the finest fleeces in my flock and these two seem to have inherited her fleece quality.
Morning chore time on the 14th I found Elena with one of her newborn ram lambs. The second lamb was coming but was presented head only. I quickly intervened and carefully brought both feet and legs in position for a regular birth. Both boys weighed about 7 3/4 pounds . . . which is big for Elena. Hoping for ewes this year as Elena has given me four sets of twin ram lambs for the past four years. These should grow to have a classic meat conformation. One moorit/grey ram and one solid moorit.
Evening lamb check on April 15th had Sarabella and Panda standing out in my lambing paddock with their lambs at their sides - up and nursing. I decided to leave them with mom and moved them to separate lamb jugs in the morning. Sarabella gave birth to two well built chunky ram lambs who weighed about 8 pounds and Panda gave birth to a gorgeous solid black ram lamb who weighed about 6 pounds. All three ram lambs are available.
Snugs showed labor signs on the morning of April 16th. I don't know why but I had been worried about her pregnancy. We were expecting triplets as she was so huge and her udder was massive this year. As the day progressed Snugs grew more and more restless and finally started to push in the afternoon. The labor was not progressing well so I had Mark hold her while I examined her. It was a backwards birth and I knew that I had to pull the lamb immediately as I saw meconium in the amniotic fluid.
I pulled the lamb and it came out fine until I reached the shoulder area and then it appeared to be stuck. I was frantic as I knew the lamb would begin to breath any second and sure enough it was struggling in my hands. I followed the neck of the lamb and when I finally made it up and inside where the head was - I realized the problem was the lamb's HUGE horn buds were caught on the pelvic bones and the cervix. Instinctively, I covered the horns with my hand pushed down and pulled the head through the birth canal. The lamb was floppy, limp, eyes half closed, tongue hanging out . . . . I thought it was dead. I cleared out as much of the fluid around the mouth as I could and placed him in front of Snugs.
She began to clean him off and within two minutes his body began to shake and spasm and he began to revive. Snugs ram lamb is so beautiful and big - nearly 10 pounds! His sister was born shortly afterwards ~ a gorgeous black badgerface who weighed only 5 pounds. Both of these gorgeous lambs are available.
That evening on April 16th, I heard Pip calling to her babies. Oh, what beauties they are too. . . two ewe lambs. A moorit/grey mouflon badgerface and a light moorit spot. Both weighed about 7 pounds. I am keeping both of these girls.
Only two more ewes left to lamb . . . . . then I can sleep again:)
Buy local . . . . . eat well . . . . . . .
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