Tuesday, April 25, 2017

All the boys...

This is Lambchops. He is Adalaide's boy. She also had a ewe lamb. She is taking such good care of them! I'm really proud of her. I'm so glad I got her in a lambing jug, just in time! But this little guy is adorable! I call him Lambchops because he does have those fluffy sideburns like a man.



These are Darla's boys. The black and white is Frodo and the brown is Sam. She's a really good mother and apparently has rich milk, because these are fat little guys.




And this little sweetie pie is Bilbo, Cameron's boy. He has been limping. Somehow he's hurt his right front leg. One of the big ewes might have hit him, trying to get him away from them. Or Cameron could have done something. Whenever she's ready to go, she nudges him til he gets up to follow her. She doesn't let him get too far from her. But he would rather just lay down and sleep, just like Bilbo Baggins did when he was so old.




And these very small boys are Amarillo's. Goodness, they are so small. As big as she is, I am a bit surprised. But she did have triplets. They both look like her a lot. The smaller one is Pippin and the bigger one is Merry. I love them!




Still waiting on Campbelle and Annabelle to lamb. They are just laying around, waiting too.

I'll take pics of all the girls later. There are 5 of them.

Monday, April 24, 2017

12, 13, 14...

This morning, I got up early and looked out the front window. I could see Amarillo standing in the same place she was laying last night. It was raining. I saw some littles lambs around her. So I got some clothes on, grabbed towels and went to her. I saw 2 lambs standing and one laying, still wet. It was dead. But the other 2 were fine. I grabbed them all and she followed us to a stall. Got the lambs as dry as possible then went to get hay and feed for her. Got them all settled in, then trimmed around her udders so the lambs could find the teats. They did. I found out all 3 were rams . I was happy to have a few more boys. They will be Mariodoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Perigrin Took (Pippin).  Can you tell where these names came from?? Yes, I have Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, so had to have a Merry and Pippin.

I still need names for Adalaide's 2 lambs, a ewe and a ram.


 So we have 6 ram lambs and 5 ewe lambs so far. There are 2 more ewes left to lamb now.

And I am tired of April already. It has been the most fickle month, like it really doesn't know what to do. Should it be cold? Or hot? Or dry? Or sopping wet?   Well, so far, it has been ALL of these things. And right now, it's SOPPING WET out there! We have had a fire going some days because it's been so cold. Then a few days later, the air conditioner is on.  Oh April, I will be SO glad to see you leave!

And I realize this must be horribly boring to you all, all these lamb posts right now. But this is my life. Like ALL DAY, this is my life. Hauling water, hay, feed, making sure the right lambs are with the right mothers. Rescuing the lambs that went the wrong way at the fence and got on the wrong side. Banding tails. Giving some lambs bottles. Just never ending sheep right now! I am SO tired. And I took a nap yesterday afternoon. Yes, a nap. And it felt SO good!                                        

Saturday, April 22, 2017

And here's 10 and 11...



Adalaide had twins this morning! A ram lamb first. He's black and white, like an Oreo cookie. So cute. Then not too long after, she had a tiny ewe lamb. I thought she was dead, but I got her head dried off then rubbed her chest real good and she breathed! She's brown and cream. SO cute. And both already nursing. Adalaide is actually being a mother! I am so relieved to see her being so good to them.

And I am exhausted. I've been getting up early and running out to check on the sheep. Then hauling water, hay and feed all day and feeding lambs bottles and checking on them. Trying to keep mommas and babies together. I've caught Buttercup's lambs nursing on mommas who have not lambed yet! And they let them!

I will be SO glad when all this is over. I will not be doing this again. It's been so stressful for me and then for the sheep too, I think. And All the stalls are full of moms and babies. And it's supposed to rain alot.

I have the alpacas out back with the goats. They are not happy. They don't really care for goats. They are sheep people. They love sheep babies. They miss them. But I have no room for them right now, til they are all done and it's not raining. They they can come back to live with their sheep.

So, 5 down, 3 to go...