[Jacob-list] An odd stillbirth...

[Susan Nielsen]

Hey, list ---

Those of you with more years of lambing may have seen this, but
I'm wondering what happened with this one:

I took a look at the ewes around 5:00 this morning, and no one
seemed to be doing anything more than chewing their cuds. About
45 minutes later I went out to feed, and found a ewe with a
bouncing baby boy at her feet. Got them into the jug and tended
to the first tasks. By then it was getting light, and as I headed
back to the house, I noticed the afterbirth out in the yard. My,
I thought, that was quick. To lamb and pass the afterbirth in
45 minutes or less from no apparent labor seemed very efficient
to me.

When I picked it up, it wasn't just the afterbirth. The sack was
complete and unbroken, and there was a second, still, lamb inside.
Wah. A ewe lamb, too.

In considering this, I am thinking that the afterbirth must have
come along with the second lamb, and that the ewe either did not
notice the lamb inside (if it didn't move, she might not have) or
that she was unable to free it from the sack.

Of course, I feel rotten about it, though I imagine the lamb was
dead by the time I came down to feed.

Except for the fact that her hooves were all 4 white (haven't seen
this before, either), the lamb looked normal and complete. Weighed
about 6#. None of that golden mess that accompanies a difficult
birth.

This evening, ewe and ram lamb are fine.

Any ideas what went on here?

Susan
--
Susan Nielsen        | "Every year, back comes Spring, with nasty
snielsen at orednet.org | little birds yapping their fool heads off
		     | and the ground all mucked up with plants."
		     |                           --Dorothy Parker