The Dorset ewe came bred and was supposedly due at the end of December. It appeared that she was, with all the signs in place and one day, she bled a bit too, but no lambs were forthcoming.
This morning she had a lovely little boy, though he is weak and very thin. She was big enough to have had triplets or even quads. The little lamb barely weighs five pounds and is weak. He can stand and walk, but he falls easily and has difficulty righting himself and getting back up. It appears that he was nursing, but the ewe is as wild as they come and would not let me anywhere near to her, even when I was holding her lamb. Usually, the ewe is so protective the first day, that she will come to her lamb, no matter who or what is present. Not so with this ewe...she was having none of it. I would have caught her and put her on her side and held the baby to nurse if I could have.
Anyhow, he has arrived. His skin on the poll of his right side is torn, likely by an overzealous mother licking and biting at him to get the amniotic sac and fluids off. She did do an excellent job of cleaning him. I put some fresh straw down and the llamas all came to visit and inspect the new born. I was a little leery of the male cria, but he also just inspected and snorted and left. Mother sheep will keep the baby inside and tend to him for a day or two, until he is strong enough to follow her out of the barn.
Although the Dorset sheep were introduced to the farm to breed for meaty lambs, these two, the ram and the ewe, are way too wild to stay. They are for sale, but not until weaning and the newborn ram will stay. Somewhere down the road perhaps, tame Dorpers can be found and a little ewe from a new flock can come to live at the farm. Congratulations mamma Dorper! It's a boy!
This morning she had a lovely little boy, though he is weak and very thin. She was big enough to have had triplets or even quads. The little lamb barely weighs five pounds and is weak. He can stand and walk, but he falls easily and has difficulty righting himself and getting back up. It appears that he was nursing, but the ewe is as wild as they come and would not let me anywhere near to her, even when I was holding her lamb. Usually, the ewe is so protective the first day, that she will come to her lamb, no matter who or what is present. Not so with this ewe...she was having none of it. I would have caught her and put her on her side and held the baby to nurse if I could have.
Anyhow, he has arrived. His skin on the poll of his right side is torn, likely by an overzealous mother licking and biting at him to get the amniotic sac and fluids off. She did do an excellent job of cleaning him. I put some fresh straw down and the llamas all came to visit and inspect the new born. I was a little leery of the male cria, but he also just inspected and snorted and left. Mother sheep will keep the baby inside and tend to him for a day or two, until he is strong enough to follow her out of the barn.
Although the Dorset sheep were introduced to the farm to breed for meaty lambs, these two, the ram and the ewe, are way too wild to stay. They are for sale, but not until weaning and the newborn ram will stay. Somewhere down the road perhaps, tame Dorpers can be found and a little ewe from a new flock can come to live at the farm. Congratulations mamma Dorper! It's a boy!
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