She has always struck me as rather bossy because she is horned and the other sheep feel intimidated by her, but in the barn this year she has shown a much softer side and while we spent time together yesterday, she allowed me to gently gain confidence in what I was doing as we muddled our way through her labour....
She let me be in the pen with her, and when her water broke she allowed me to check her behind to see how far she was progressing... even spending time licking my hand as I smelt of her, a trick I shall keep foremost in my mind as it bonded the trust between us for a short time, and stopped any fear that she might have been feeling.... a powerful tool in such a situation.
Today Mum is quiet and is feeding when the lambs demand, which is often..... sometimes it takes a while to recover but I have no doubt that she will be out in the field within the next couple of days.. I'm back to the barn now to see if there are any more developments!