Yesterday, I took minerals out to the sheep, and when they came running, I counted them. Only 14 -- that meant two were missing. Since they are due to lamb, I immediately went looking for new mamas. I found two ewes and two lambs. Both ewes were taking an equal interest in the two lambs, and both lambs were nursing off both ewes! I watched them for quite some time and couldn't figure out which one belonged to whom! I checked the back ends of both ewes, and both looked kind of muddy, although I couldn't find any sign of blood on either one. Both looked a bit sunken between the ribs and pin bones, which usually happens when they give birth. Both are equally wide! I found one placenta, and I found what looked like a dried up umbilical cord. Today I went out there looking for more clues, but couldn't get any farther than I did yesterday. Both lambs are still going back and forth between the two ewes.
One thing I do know -- they are both rams. But then it gets kind of confusing again. I thought they were both black, but Margaret says one is chocolate. Sometimes I think she's right, but sometimes he looks very black. What a confusing start to lambing!
Yesterday, I took minerals out to the sheep, and when they came running, I counted them. Only 14 -- that meant two were missing. Since they are due to lamb, I immediately went looking for new mamas. I found two ewes and two lambs. Both ewes were taking an equal interest in the two lambs, and both lambs were nursing off both ewes! I watched them for quite some time and couldn't figure out which one belonged to whom! I checked the back ends of both ewes, and both looked kind of muddy, although I couldn't find any sign of blood on either one. Both looked a bit sunken between the ribs and pin bones, which usually happens when they give birth. Both are equally wide! I found one placenta, and I found what looked like a dried up umbilical cord. Today I went out there looking for more clues, but couldn't get any farther than I did yesterday. Both lambs are still going back and forth between the two ewes.
One thing I do know -- they are both rams. But then it gets kind of confusing again. I thought they were both black, but Margaret says one is chocolate. Sometimes I think she's right, but sometimes he looks very black. What a confusing start to lambing!
2 comments:
That is hilarious! If the rams aren't going to be breeding stock, maybe it doesn't matter. What are they? They LOOK like Shetlands, but I didn't think Shetlands lambed this time of year.
Yep, they're Shetlands. Since I was in grad school last year, they were not put with a ram until the end of February. I wasn't sure if anyone would get bred, but it looks like most of them are pregnant, so I'm looking for more babies!
They were both destined to be lamb chops until my daughter started saying the one looks chocolate. I think she's right. I got a spotted moorit ram three years ago in hopes of getting some brown sheep, and this is my first one. I'll probably just keep him as a wool wether if he is brown. If he is from the spotted ewe, the moorit ram is his grandfather.
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