So lambing is finally done, and tonight we will get to sleep 8 hours for the first time in over one month. Sheila, our shaela older ewe, delivered her final set of lambs at 1 AM. She delivered twin black lambs with some white markings. I am assuming that they will be modified like she and the sire (Jocko, our mioget ram). But the ram lamb has a few white hairs in his ear and a spotted tongue. His scrotum is dark though. I am wanting to keep one of them, and I would prefer it be the ram if he is in fact modified. And I need to decide quick for potential buyers too. Anyways they are being called Shaun and Shirley- Shaun the Sheep cartoon characters.
We apparently also had bunnies born last night. Ma Bell was supposed to deliver today, and I forgot to tell Tom to check the nest box yesterday while I was a t work. So this morning I found 6 cold bunnies in the nest box. Their tummies appear full so I am not sure what happened. I warmed them, and one of them came to life but no such luck with the others. So naturally once again I feel horribly guilty about screwing up and having a newborn die because of it. It is hard to get used to this feeling and really is a downside to this farming thing.
Even though I got almost no sleep last night at work I had to bring the goat kids to the vet to be disbudded. I have him do it with sedation and local anesthesia because I feel he does a much better job than I and it is more humane. So to me it's worth the expense. So right now I have 10 sedated goat kids laying around my living room, and I am making sure they keep breathing and wake up OK. It is very much like a recovery room in here.
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6 comments:
Too bad about the bunny babies. Good idea about the goat kids. I always HATED dehorning the dairy goat kids.
Thanks for the sentiment. Our vet goes a great job disbudding and I do not so it all works out.
I'm sorry to read about the bunnies, Donna. Death on the farm is something I have to steel myself against too. Sometimes it appears senseless, but I know those cases may also mean there was something wrong to begin with we just can't see or figure out.
We, too, have a Shaun the Sheep at our place. Our son-in-law made me promise that the first boy-lamb to hit the ground would be named "Shaun", no matter what color. So, we have a red iset moorit (now wether) Shaun. :) Can you tell we're fans of himself as well? :)
Thanks for sharing your lambing with those of us who didn't breed last fall. I've had to get my "fix" through other Shetland people this year. (I'm always bugging Tina and John about photos of their "crop") :)
Hugs to you and Tom...
Thanks for your very nice comments. I finally got to name a sheep Shaun. I have been waiting three long years for Sheila to produce a ram lamb for me to name that. And I am happy to help with your fix.
Sorry about the bunnies. I can't imagine what it must have been like around your farm with all those babies coming. Can I ask who is the vet that does your disbudding and how much he /she charges to do it? I much prefer that way then doing it myself. For the future since neither of my does kidded this year.
We use Peter Brown at Chuckanut Vet Clinic. He is somewhat expensive but worth it. I do not recall the price from last year and have not received the bill from this year yet.
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