Last Saturday morning, at about midnight we had one of our last births.......... it was the lovely Freckle who had presented us with twins between a visit at 8.00 and midnight........ and what a lovely pair they are! both had been licked dry and were up on their legs.
Nigel had moved her and her new offspring into a bonding pen and had come home for some colostrum as one of them wasn't framing as well as it should and he thought a shot of the magic elixir would do the trick! I got out of bed and went back with him. We gave the smallest lamb... a little girl... the bottle and she had a little, then for good measure her brother, larger and better able, was given some too........
Freckle seemed to be very enamored with her son, but no so keen on her daughter.. we left them to their own devices until I went back at 4.30 to check.... oh my goodness me!! Freckle had knocked the pen around so much that the gate was leaning at the bottom leaving a space for both lambs to get out... to my horror they were snuggled up on the wrong side and Freckle asleep with her nose as close as she could get........ I popped them both back in and lent on Freckle so that they could both suckle......... they did so without any issue until I let her go......... the worst outcome.. She bashed her daughter against the side of the rail......... I walloped her on the nose which stopped her immediately........ I topped both lambs up again, rubbed the lamb up and down the fluids on Freckles back end then left the barn until 8.00..
On our return the small lamb was snuggled up in a corner on her own...... Freckle had disowned her completely but at least the lamb had the good sense to get out of the way and to be quiet........ I have 3 other pets..(another story) so I fetched her out... she could start to feel safe and be fed with by me...........
By Monday she was completely bonded to me and full of beans!! trouble was I needed to go to Sedbergh for my weaving group, an all day affair, so there was only one thing to do........at 2.5 days old I'd have to take her with me!
I had a large box from a delivery of carrier bags, so I filled the bottom with a good layer of newspaper (a latrine was needed) then a layer of straw to be familiar with the sweatshirt I'd been wearing to feed her for good measure as it smelt of both of us!... it was wedged on the front seat of the pickup and "Daisy" was placed into it.... it only took from the barn to Bainbridge for her to work out that sitting down was more stable for travelling, and the rest of the journey was a piece of cake!
The weaving group were brilliant... she only caused a disturbance for 10 mins and then went back to sleep, only waking to say, very loudly, that she was hungry. I fed her each time, gave her a cuddle and they she went back to sleep on my sweatshirt!! We didn't stay all day, as the others back at the barn need a feed too, but I knew they would go 4-5 hours at a push as they are much older and robust, so we didn't rush and had a nice time!
Nigel had moved her and her new offspring into a bonding pen and had come home for some colostrum as one of them wasn't framing as well as it should and he thought a shot of the magic elixir would do the trick! I got out of bed and went back with him. We gave the smallest lamb... a little girl... the bottle and she had a little, then for good measure her brother, larger and better able, was given some too........
Freckle seemed to be very enamored with her son, but no so keen on her daughter.. we left them to their own devices until I went back at 4.30 to check.... oh my goodness me!! Freckle had knocked the pen around so much that the gate was leaning at the bottom leaving a space for both lambs to get out... to my horror they were snuggled up on the wrong side and Freckle asleep with her nose as close as she could get........ I popped them both back in and lent on Freckle so that they could both suckle......... they did so without any issue until I let her go......... the worst outcome.. She bashed her daughter against the side of the rail......... I walloped her on the nose which stopped her immediately........ I topped both lambs up again, rubbed the lamb up and down the fluids on Freckles back end then left the barn until 8.00..
On our return the small lamb was snuggled up in a corner on her own...... Freckle had disowned her completely but at least the lamb had the good sense to get out of the way and to be quiet........ I have 3 other pets..(another story) so I fetched her out... she could start to feel safe and be fed with by me...........
By Monday she was completely bonded to me and full of beans!! trouble was I needed to go to Sedbergh for my weaving group, an all day affair, so there was only one thing to do........at 2.5 days old I'd have to take her with me!
I had a large box from a delivery of carrier bags, so I filled the bottom with a good layer of newspaper (a latrine was needed) then a layer of straw to be familiar with the sweatshirt I'd been wearing to feed her for good measure as it smelt of both of us!... it was wedged on the front seat of the pickup and "Daisy" was placed into it.... it only took from the barn to Bainbridge for her to work out that sitting down was more stable for travelling, and the rest of the journey was a piece of cake!
The weaving group were brilliant... she only caused a disturbance for 10 mins and then went back to sleep, only waking to say, very loudly, that she was hungry. I fed her each time, gave her a cuddle and they she went back to sleep on my sweatshirt!! We didn't stay all day, as the others back at the barn need a feed too, but I knew they would go 4-5 hours at a push as they are much older and robust, so we didn't rush and had a nice time!
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