How lambing has been going....

(Note...if you just stop by to check out the pictures, don't leave! Scroll down. There's plenty below the lambing squib. :-)

Well, after the Rue ordeal, I was happy to go down to the barn to check on Aravis and find two huge, very healthy, very cute ewe lambs! Welcome Sicily and Paris! And congrats Aravis, you are a great ewe! :-)

So, this is how it's all been going....

Last year Rue (as a yearling having her first babies) didn't dilate all the way so we had to take her in. She had two lovely twin boys who she raised excellently! This year she didn't dilate either, so I did my best at what they explained to do last year, but didn't get anywhere. I started getting worried about the babies and called the vet out. Apparently, she had scarred over last year and there was no way anything was coming through.
So, yes, I'd been on the right track and I hadn't messed up, but we were in a pickle.

We did what was best for Rue and put her down. No more of that pain! But we are going to miss her! What a horrible thing to happen to such a pretty, sweet ewe.

Thank you Dr. Jacklyn Aschim for getting those babies out on time! Rue had a lovely set of triplets, two spotted ewes and one white ram (8.2, 7, and 8 lbs). My first Johann babies. I'm bottle feeding the two ewe lambs and the ram lamb is now happy at his new home (thank you Anna).
I hope one of my goats kids pretty soon so I can have some more real milk. It didn't take these guys long to drink up the milk I'd put in the freezer. And I really don't like using milk replacer and I really don't like how much it costs! It's been years since I've had to buy any. Ouch!

To make up for it all....the perfect ewe...Aravis.
Yesterday it looked like she'd dropped so I moved her to a lambing pen in the other barn. She spent most of the day in the grass yard looking out at the other sheep in pasture. I was pretty sure she'd have them in the evening or late night.
I came down at 8 to check on her and...yep...two lovely, huge ewe lambs already fat and happy.

This is how Aravis is...Her first lambing I stuck her in a pen in the morning and came back after a day out to well fed triplets. Last year I thought she was close, came back down in the next morning and two well fed twin rams. I hope it continues this way for her.

I've kept her two ewe lambs from the triplets. Rue...you know about her...but she did give me 5 babies before she'd turned two! And Parsley who had twins last year when I was gone and nobody noticed until they saw lambs grazing in the pasture with the moms! Still waiting to see what she gives me this year. She doesn't look to plump, so maybe a single, maybe twins. We'll see.

Current 2010 Baby Count
2 ewes - 5 lambs

Thanks for reading,
Drowsy Waters Farm

Enjoy the pictures!

Rosalind

Watching Aravis' new lambs play.

Can't wait for this girl to lamb. She's my plumpest ewe and my best bet for another set of triplets....but it will probably be twins.

Introducing!
Paris and Sicily

They were not interested in posing at all! The light isn't good with all this rain and overcast weather and they just wanted to move! They are very energetic. I think they were born two weeks old. :-)

Paris and Sicily

Sicily thinks mom is great for climbing.
Look at how big she is!!!!!

And papa Johann.
He's just turned one!

Mercy
A July 2009 ewe lamb

Maggie
One of my dairy ewes!
Poor girl's a bit dirty. I guess wool doesn't clean up so nice as Katahdin hair....

And Dolly, Maggie's sister.
Another dairy ewe.
These girls are both due in March.

Some 2009 ewe lambs
Tamar, Hagar, Dotty, Ophelia, and Juliet

Herman might still look like a calf, but he's to big now!
This is a good sized ram lamb grazing with him.

Herman and the three remaining ram lambs.

Parsley
Due sometime this month.

Amelia
Also due this month...

Celia, my oldest ewe, and can you tell?
Due to lamb soon!