Backwards

I haven't had to deliver a lamb since 2022. I assisted a couple of ewes last year, but they didn't really need my help. I just wanted to speed things up. This year, lambing started on March 9, with a single ram lamb. Since then, there have been two sets of twins and four sets of triplets. Another ewe had triplets this morning. #1952 was in labor when I got back from taking my mom to breakfast. But she didn't seem to be making much progress. I pulled her first lamb. It was backwards.

Backwards can be a normal birth versus breech which requires assistance. In a backwards presentation, the hind legs are coming first instead of the front legs and the nose. In contrast, in a breech birth, the only thing that's in the birth canal is the bottom (tail). You have to pull the back legs forward into the birth canal in order to deliver the lamb (backwards). Pulling a lamb out by its hind legs is always risky, because it's possible for the umbilical cord to break before the head is out, in which case the lamb may drown.

The second lamb was also backwards. I had no problem getting it out. It was good I helped the ewe. Clearly she was in distress. Upon delivery, the lambs were yellow, indicating they were in stress, too. After delivery of both lambs, the ewe went to work cleaning them and encouraging them to get up to get a sip of colostrum. They are doing fine. The ram lamb is a big one.