Baby Update

At last count, I think there are 27 lambs. No kids yet. There was a run of ten straight ram lambs. Today was a rough day. #81, who I was very worried about, started to deliver. I pulled the first lamb out. It was a good-size, healthy ewe lamb. The next lamb had his head turn back. I pushed him back in before delivering him. He was dead. A third lamb also had its head back. Ditto. He was dead. #81 is eight years old. She's had 9 lambs in her previous 3 lambings, but only four lambs have been born alive. She will have to go after this year. Her udder is abnormally large, plenty of milk for three lambs. I think I will need to milk her out some. Her lamb should grow like a weed.

The surprise of the week was finding one of the ewe lambs (#520) standing in her pen with a lamb. The ewe lambs aren't due for another couple of weeks. The ram must have snuck in early. She does not have much milk, so I am supplementing her lamb with a bottle. He's red, Bull's Eye's first offspring. I've dubbed him Nicholas. I'm on a Russian theme for this year (for names). Hopefully, she'll be able to raise him with a little help.

One of my best ewes (#24) had triplet ram lambs. I wish I had a flock of ewes like her. She's Pretty's mom. They are together in a pen with their six lambs, along with two other triplet moms. Another nice ewe (#13) also had triplet rams. Another one of my consistent twinners (#100) had a single lamb. At least, it was a ewe lamb. A single ram lamb can't pay a ewe's annual upkeep, unless it is sold for breeding.

Tomorrow, Dad and I are off to the hay auction. One thing's for certain, these sheep sure eat a lot this time of the year.