Went out to the barn this morning and Manon was in the corner of my big stall . . . I said to her softly . . . "well looks like it is your time". She then turned around and I saw that her water bag was out and dragging on the floor. She had been in labor for quite some time and I got somewhat concerned. When I saw meconium, I knew that the lamb or lambs were in trouble and I immediately ran to the house to get my Son.
Declan held Manon while I felt for a lamb in the birth canal . . . nothing . . . so I went in further and I found two feet which I gently pulled forward. They were locked up against the cervical opening. Then I felt for either a head or rump. Manon breeched a huge lamb last year so when I felt those big legs and what I thought was the rump I began to pull downward slightly . . . nothing came forward. I eased my hand in again and tugged some more. Something came through and I saw it was a huge head . . . at this point the lamb should come out so I waited for another contraction and pulled . . . still nothing! I was becoming confused and at this point thought that I had the rear legs of a twin and the head of another so I pushed the head back and started to feel around again . . . I felt one big body but could not tell if there was another. Manon and I were beginning to panic at this point. I sent Declan in to call the Vet. Manon then laid down next to me and rested her head in my lap. I felt helpless but then something told me to try again . . . just once more. With tears streaming down my face, I reached in again and pulled the legs and head forward one last time. The shoulders were so wide that there was very little space to work the body through the pelvis of Manon. I got the shoulders unstuck finally by slow steady pressure and muscles that I did not know I had. The lamb finally emerged . . . it was HUGE!!!!! 11.5 pounds with a very wide chest and the thickest legs I have ever seen on a lamb born on this farm. It coughed and began moving . . . Manon started licking it and talking to it while I wiped off his nose and face. I hugged Manon while she was talking and licking her lamb (I think she was also talking to me in a different voice from her lamb trying to calm me down as well:)
Manon and her gigantic ram lamb are doing fine now. This lamb is so big he needs to practically lay down to nurse. Whew . . . the fear and joy of lambing season . . . and the big sigh of relief when everything turns out okay in the end. This beautiful ram lamb is available and is out of Hun.
