FirthofFifth Rahu

Well this is a mixed bag post. I was just thinking the other day how I'm so lucky with my sheep. After a terrible year with the goats, the sheep have been a blessing. Although I've had way more singles from mature ewes than I like, all lambs were healthy.

Yesterday I noticed I had the beginning of a selenium or Vit E deficiency in one of the lambs. I quickly fixed that with a BoSe injection and a Vit E gel capsule.

Tonight I saw Rahu starting early labor in the shed before I brought them in for the night. I immediately jugged her and waited....An hour... then another one....no legs, no water bag. And man was she pushing! I waited a little bit longer and then finally had to intervene. I felt a TAIL and no legs. I called the vet, emergency call of course, and he came and somehow he got his hand in there, found a leg, then another and pulled it out. He held it up like someone who just caught a fish.

And it started to wiggle like one.

I surely thought he was a goner and was hoping to just save Rahu. I rubbed and rubbed and he started calling for his mom, but she was in shock and in pain. She briefly sniffed him and walked to the other part of the jug. Pi Lo, who just had a lamb yesterday was FRANTICALLY calling to him begging him to come nurse.

Fortunately I had some Kolostrum (from Premier) that I had on hand. I went and had supper with the fam and then went back out. He had moved to the other side and was laying down......very slow and very cold. I mixed some colostrum and fed it to him which he readily ate. Within a moment he was up standing and walking to Rahu calling, begging to eat. She ignored him. If not by morning I'll have to give him to Pi Lo. I don't want a ram lamb for a bottle lamb.

Now most of you may not know that Cori's twin girls are bottle lambs. She was found with her lambs, but wouldn't let them nurse. To this day she still wont' let them nurse, but she sleeps with them, calls for them, eats with them, but doesn't let them nurse. So I have two bottle babies that are girls and they are so precious. But I'm not excited about all the bottle feeding!

I'm even tempted now to give the little guy to Pi Lo but I'll try and give Rahu the benefit of the doubt. It was very traumatic. I'm glad that both mom and baby are alive and doing OK so far...that's more than I could ask for!

Photos to come