[Jacob-list] Almost had a(nother) bottle lamb

[Linda]

This morning, a two year ewe (having her first lamb) lambed a pretty ewe lamb outside.  She is a very skittish ewe and I watched from the living room window.  Another ewe was nearby and butted Sissy's lamb a few times (maybe seeing the lamb as threat to her twins?) Anyway, Sissy was in a tither.  The lamb was very strong at birth, up and after Sissy within a few minutes.  Sissy was licking the lamb, backing up, and butting the lamb - undecided of just what she was going to do. This went on for close to an hour.   Since they were close to my feeding pen, I decided to herd them into the pen, rather than up the hill to the barn.  It took some time, but Sissy stayed with her lamb rather than take off.  I closed the gate and walked off.  She immediately let the lamb nurse.  Somewhere, 14 years ago or so, I'd read that sometimes a ewe will take a rejected lamb if you bring a dog nearby, as the threat to her lamb will bring out her maternal instincts.  I tried with a commercial ewe then - the ewe beat up the dog and the lamb.  My intent in penning Sissy was just to get her in a pen with her lamb to give them a chance to bond - hadn't even thought about the the article.  I don't think she would have followed me if I'd caught the lamb (plus the lamb was really fast, and I'm really slow), but somewhere during the herding the process she had to chose to run or stay with the lamb.  Mother and baby are doing fine.

3am Monday morning I heard some baaing and looked out to see one lamb at the top of the hill and a ewe and another lamb at the top of the hill.  Both lambs were strong and active.  Dragging that ewe up the hill and penning her with both didn't work out all that well.  After seeing a bloody nose on the bottom of the hill lamb (the ewe I'd hoped for from this particular breeding), I decided to bottle feed her.  She's an enthusiastic feeder and is growing well.  

Linda



www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn