Another Sad Loss

In two years, 523 gave birth to six lambs. She raised five, five nice lambs. I had her euthanized on July 24. Something happened inside of her. It probably started before she lambed. It got worse after she lambed. Her left side got very large. I wondered if she tore something inside or had a hernia. I'll never know. By the time, she was put down, her enlarged side had practically swallowed her udder.

2017 triplets

But she raised her lambs. They did well. Two boys and a girl. Her 4th lamb had died at birth. During lactation, she had a little trouble maneuvering her out-of-shape body, but otherwise she ate well and acted normal. She was always a very sweet sheep. Friendly, but not annoying. She was destined to be a very productive ewe. So sad that I had to end her life. But she couldn't be expected to live like that. She couldn't be re-bred. There was no other choice. I didn't want to send her to the sale barn or local butcher.

2016 Twin Ewe Lambs

523 was only 2 years old. She was 31% Lacaune x 69% Katahdin. Her dam had died five days after she gave birth to 523 and her sister. I suspect she had a third lamb inside of her. I raised her twin ewe lambs on a bottle. They were big, leggy lambs, with rat tails. They grew well and grew into large ewes.  523 raised twin ewe lambs as a yearling. I kept both of them. In turn, they both had twins this year.