Another Surprise on the Homestead...

We had been keeping a close eye on Star and her baby ewe lamb since last night was going to be so cold.  And it was cold!  Even right now, as I type, it is 30 degrees outside.  So as JAB and Bill went down to check on Star one last time around 9:30 pm, JAB heard a lamb crying.  At first he said he thought it was our buck, but he could not figure out why the buck was calling from this part of the pasture.  So he and Bill headed off in search of what was crying.  Much to their surprise, on this cold dark night, they found a lamb all by itself crying for it's mother.  It had been dried off but had just a little blood on its head.  This is not like the Gulf Coast sheep.  Mom's don't leave their babies.

They brought the baby to the house immediately as it was shaking with cold.  However, even with it being a cold baby, it was a STRONG baby!  Below is a picture of JAB holding the baby as he walked in the door.  Yes, everything gets put on hold when an emergency like this happens!  You grab what you can so you will see a clean tea towel used as a quick blanket as I realize the situation.

This lamb was found at 9:30 pm in 20 degree weather with no mother.

 I'm so thankful that my family checks on the animals like they do.  If my son and husband had not gone out in that cold weather to check on the ewe lamb that we knew about, this little lamb would never have survived the night to be found alive.  The mystery that I don't know if we will ever solve is:  What attacked this lamb?  Yes, that is right.  When they brought the lamb into the house, it had been dried off by momma but the head was wet....and bloody.  It had been bit on the head at least once, but I'm thinking twice.  Why it was not killed, I don't know.  Was it because it was being attacked when my son heard the cry?  I have no idea.  All I know is I think there must have been a dog after the baby when Star had her second baby; thus to save herself and the second one she was giving birth to, she must have run off.

We checked all pastures last night to make sure there was not another ewe off somewhere, hurt and needing our help.  We could not find any nor could we find another ewe that had given birth.  So at this point we just assume it is Star's baby.

What's next?

We took the baby down to the barn and Star accepted it.  This is another reason that we think this lamb is Stars.  After an hour down at the barn, we decided to bring both babies to the house as they were SO COLD!  We put them in a dog crate with cardboard on the bottom and then a layer of hay.  You need to put the cardboard down or they can't stand due to hooves and the plastic bottom.

Next we went to the freezer and pulled out the EVER SO IMPORTANT colostrum.  Bill found some from our goat, Millie.  It was 'day 1' colostrum.  Using a double broiler, we warmed the colostrum with a little bit of Laurie Belle's milk.  She is our Jersey.  And both babies ate well!

Both ewe lambs...settled in for the night...in our warm home

 I did not feed them again until 7:00 am.  To be honest, it was because I was so tired!  JAB and I were up late checking the pasture for other lambs and ewes that might need us.  I fed them more colostrum this morning.  And both successfully went potty on me.  Trust me, neither lamb have a problem in either area!  As a homesteader, this is all just a normal life and we smile and say:  At least we know they are eating well! 

Notice the stains on the towels in the picture.  That is from the iodine that we used to treat the navel of the baby lamb when we found it.

Once the temperature gets above 40, we will re-introduce the lambs to Star.  That will be the next post.

So until later...happy homesteading!

It's Lambing Season

We have had a warmer than usual winter which I have really enjoyed!  The wood stove has not been used very much and many days we have enjoyed gorgeous weather outside.  However, sheep never pay much mind to 'good' weather when it comes time to lamb.  Tonight's low will be in the 20s where the last week or so, the lows have been in the 40s.  Why can't the ewes wait for nice weather?

As it is, here is Sunshine.  She and Star always have babies within 24 hours of each other.  She is a seven year old Gulf Coast ewe that came straight from Dempsey Perkins' farm to ours as a lamb.  She produces a beautiful fleece each year; along with beautiful lambs!

Sunshine:  A seven year old Gulf Coast, Perkin's Foundation ewe

Sunshine heavy with a lamb...due any moment

 One of our other little Gulf Coast, Star, did have a ewe lamb this evening.  Currently we are in the low 30s and the expected low is 23 for tonight.  Tomorrow's expected low is once again in the 40s!  So why today?  I don't know, but it really is just the way it always happens!  I'm so thankful they are born wearing a wool coat!

Star:  A seven year old Perkin's foundation Gulf Coast ewe with

 lamb

The lamb is a ewe with a brown ear.  She is less than an hour old in this photo.  She will spend the night in the barn in Max's stall with her mama, Star.  They will be nice and toasty in the barn!  Don't worry, Max has a good heavy blanket on him for the night.

Which end is the milk?

I love our Gulf Coast sheep!  So far, we have been blessed with a healthy flock that lamb without complications.  I will share later what we name her.  And don't worry, more pictures to come!

Goat kids and Lambs and Nursing, Oh, My!

After a goat kid or lamb is born, unless you want to bottle raise them, they need to nurse on their mother as soon as possible to get some colostrum into their system.

First, you need to remove the waxy plug in each teat..this makes it easier for the baby to nurse and actually get some colostrum. The plug is just a small waxy piece that seals the teat, keeping the colostrum in and bacteria out until the babies are born. To remove the plug, you simply milk each side of the udder until you get a good stream going. Some people refer to this as 'stripping'. Its pretty obvious if the plug is still in there...very little to nothing will come out of the teat while the plug is still in place! Usually I can dislodge it within 3 squirts of colostrum. Mind you...this is text book perfect that I am talking about. Sometimes, there is very little in the udder, but for the sake of this article, we will assume the dam has an ample supply of colostrum. Scads, as a matter of fact, so I can make my second recommendation!

Which is...have a clean jar or bottle ready before you strip the waxy plug out! Then...milk some of each side of the udder into the container. Extra colostrum is invaluable to have on hand in the case of an emergency, such as an orphaned kid or lamb who did not get a chance to nurse on its mom. It will also make you popular in the event that a friend or a friend's friend has an orphan in need of colostrum...you could get a call at any hour...popularity has its drawbacks! Not really...its actually the beauty of belonging to a great community of people who are willing to help each other out!

Freeze the colostrum...some folks put it onto ice cube trays so they can thaw out small amounts as needed. Date and label these cubes clearly so they don't end up in somebody's homemade smoothie!

Last part is helping the baby to find its mom's teat, if necessary. Some don't need help, some sure seem to! If you just try to grab the baby's head and shove the teat in its mouth, it will fight you. You need to guide it gently to the teat...and scratch its little bottom, right above the tail. No, I am not kidding or making this up! It mimics what the mom does when the baby nurses, and it encourages the baby to nurse. Try to gently cradle its jaw and get the teat in the mouth while scratching its little bum. Sometimes getting it to latch onto your finger, guiding it to the teat, and then transferring the baby to the teat helps, too. Generally, they figure it out pretty quickly. For twins...try to get each one on a different side of the udder, one on each teat.

And...don't forget to try to enjoy the birthing and bonding process...its a stressful time, but amazing as well!!