On Tuesday morning Nigel and I whizzed round all the sheep first thing in the morning as I had to be in Leyburn for my Lambing Course at 10.00 sharp.
6 of us were there, some with no experience of lambing at all, some with a little, and 2 gentlemen who had more than most.
We started with a slide show and a cuppa, giving information of the how to do thing and how not to do things, including hygiene standards for both us and the animals, and then we all washed our hands and went out into the yard for the practical part of the course......... and much the most informative!!
Davinia, our vet, had a large wooden box lined in plastic, with a whole the size of a large saucer in one end and a addition of a screen attached above it..... a mock sheep if you will... all our training was to be done blind with the help of 2 deceased lambs...... which were in a large bucket of water...... just defrosted I think...
With our arm length yellow gloves we were each given a normal presentation to "feel" and deliver through the whole using only one gloved hand...... that all went very well......
Next we were shown how to use a head snare, a wire devise for assisting in difficult births..... its loop slips over the head of a lamb, so that it fits at the back of the head in a normal presentation, then the ears are flipped through it too and then it is tightened up to the open jaw with a slider so that it can't move, but prevents strangulation...... very clever.... it gives purchase to the lamb but leaves room to manipulate without the added constriction of your hand... allowing some easing and some assistance when a ewe strains...... It can also be attached into a jaw and with the slider and the back of the head for assisting if your lamb has its head back... well that's the theory anyway......
We were also instructed in the use of lambing ropes, and glucose injections and were presented with as many awkward deliveries and multiple deliveries as could be mustered... giving us all a taste of what can happen, and how to sort out potential issues as and when they arrive.... all of course by touch with one hand........
The key seemed to be...... Don't panic... give yourself time...... as long as the lambs are inside then they are safe for the time being giving you thinking space... and now a bit more confidence to do what is required rather than the mild panic I have suffered from in the past with a call for Nigel to come and do the business....... This year I hope to be able to do much more!!
Thank you to all concerned for a brilliant day!
6 of us were there, some with no experience of lambing at all, some with a little, and 2 gentlemen who had more than most.
We started with a slide show and a cuppa, giving information of the how to do thing and how not to do things, including hygiene standards for both us and the animals, and then we all washed our hands and went out into the yard for the practical part of the course......... and much the most informative!!
Davinia, our vet, had a large wooden box lined in plastic, with a whole the size of a large saucer in one end and a addition of a screen attached above it..... a mock sheep if you will... all our training was to be done blind with the help of 2 deceased lambs...... which were in a large bucket of water...... just defrosted I think...
With our arm length yellow gloves we were each given a normal presentation to "feel" and deliver through the whole using only one gloved hand...... that all went very well......
Next we were shown how to use a head snare, a wire devise for assisting in difficult births..... its loop slips over the head of a lamb, so that it fits at the back of the head in a normal presentation, then the ears are flipped through it too and then it is tightened up to the open jaw with a slider so that it can't move, but prevents strangulation...... very clever.... it gives purchase to the lamb but leaves room to manipulate without the added constriction of your hand... allowing some easing and some assistance when a ewe strains...... It can also be attached into a jaw and with the slider and the back of the head for assisting if your lamb has its head back... well that's the theory anyway......
We were also instructed in the use of lambing ropes, and glucose injections and were presented with as many awkward deliveries and multiple deliveries as could be mustered... giving us all a taste of what can happen, and how to sort out potential issues as and when they arrive.... all of course by touch with one hand........
The key seemed to be...... Don't panic... give yourself time...... as long as the lambs are inside then they are safe for the time being giving you thinking space... and now a bit more confidence to do what is required rather than the mild panic I have suffered from in the past with a call for Nigel to come and do the business....... This year I hope to be able to do much more!!
Thank you to all concerned for a brilliant day!
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