It was just after 6.00 am on Sunday morning when I went down to see if the Dorset Mums to be were ok...... they were all up and about as I drove up, except one, who stayed behind a the back of the barn, but made herself known in her usual vocal way...... only this time it wasn't because she was demanding food but because she was most definitely in the throws of labour!
There was a very large red balloon below her tail, so I opened a pen gate and then went to ask her to "step this way" Ezmie is one of the most tame and friendly sheep we have, she let me stroke her nose and then gently put my left hand under her chin and my right hand on top on her bum, and we calmly walked between all the others, weaving our way the the pen and then waited while she decided whether to enter or not........ after giving her a moment she marched in without any problem, so fastened the gate to secure her in, and then jumped in the car and went back to get Nigel....
We were back within a few minutes, and Nigel wanted me to investigate, so he held her while I had a feel in her behind... she was well on the way and I could feel both front feet and a nose.... Ezmie wasn't too fussed about that, so I used what I'd learned last year with Holly... placing the gloved hand that had been inside her rear for her to smell and lick.... she calmed immediately, and when her next pain came she lay down, and Nigel's help wasn't needed any more........ she let me use my lambing rope to loop round each little hoof, and pull each leg forward, one at a time, then with a pull on each little leg a large nose came quickly into sight and within seconds her beautiful and rather huge son was born........ He is much bigger than both Annie and Brenda are after a week...... with a much more arched nose, rather than the cute curves of the little girls..... and he is so hungry all the time...... he spent his first 24 hours either eating or sleeping........ and Ezmie loves him!
Tabatha is still holding on to her lambs...... but we're keeping a close eye... the weather forecast is awful for the next few days so they will all be staying inside!
There was a very large red balloon below her tail, so I opened a pen gate and then went to ask her to "step this way" Ezmie is one of the most tame and friendly sheep we have, she let me stroke her nose and then gently put my left hand under her chin and my right hand on top on her bum, and we calmly walked between all the others, weaving our way the the pen and then waited while she decided whether to enter or not........ after giving her a moment she marched in without any problem, so fastened the gate to secure her in, and then jumped in the car and went back to get Nigel....
We were back within a few minutes, and Nigel wanted me to investigate, so he held her while I had a feel in her behind... she was well on the way and I could feel both front feet and a nose.... Ezmie wasn't too fussed about that, so I used what I'd learned last year with Holly... placing the gloved hand that had been inside her rear for her to smell and lick.... she calmed immediately, and when her next pain came she lay down, and Nigel's help wasn't needed any more........ she let me use my lambing rope to loop round each little hoof, and pull each leg forward, one at a time, then with a pull on each little leg a large nose came quickly into sight and within seconds her beautiful and rather huge son was born........ He is much bigger than both Annie and Brenda are after a week...... with a much more arched nose, rather than the cute curves of the little girls..... and he is so hungry all the time...... he spent his first 24 hours either eating or sleeping........ and Ezmie loves him!
Tabatha is still holding on to her lambs...... but we're keeping a close eye... the weather forecast is awful for the next few days so they will all be staying inside!
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