Peewee (Melody) had been very sweetly tupped by Dudley at the end of October. She had obviously been feeling very fruity that morning, but being her first time, also a bit nervous.... She had lead him into the collection pen, a place where she felt safe.... she was reared in a pen in the barn if you remember... and I had watched from a distance so as not to disturb the moment!
It was a Friday afternoon when she went into labour..... I was with her all the way through..... Nigel's father had been rushed into hospital that day, and we were trying to make sure that his mum was cared for too... so our hands were full to say the least with Nigel elsewhere.
It was way to early.......... a tiny little lamb was born, too small to stand up on her own... I knew I had to get some colostrum into her to stand any chance of survival... I rushed home and made up a bottle....... but she was too small to take it and I feared I would drown her........ Tubing was the only option.... I'd done this with a dead lamb at my class but never on such a small live one...... the main thing was to measure the tube to know how much to leave out on the mouth and not to go down the wrong way into the lungs.... if you could hear breath sounds out of the end then you were in the wrong place........ Oh no... each time I could hear breath sounds.... I had started to panic and my lack of experience was showing.....think think... I put her down and jumped into the pickup and headed for Julia..... she's got years of experience and would know what to do......... she came immediately.........
This lamb is getting cold she said........ but at least we did get the tube in and some colostrum into her....... We need a lamp.... so back we went... we had a generator so power wasn't the problem.... oh no.. just how to start it........ we couldn't... so I put the lamb down my jumper to get her warmed up and headed home, leaving poor Pees in her pen.......
I had heard of people putting lambs in the bottom of an aga... so I turned on the oven, but on a warming temperature... warmed a tea towel and wrapped the lamb in it....... she was warmed within 20 mins with her colour turning back to pink...
I lit the fire in the lounge and rested her down in a place where she wouldn't roast but would stay warm......... She had been born just before 5.00 p.m. and she left us just before 10.00......... peaceful and quiet...... and warm..........
Poor Peewee, I put her back into the holding pen with all her friends... she was so needy.... I sat and loved her until she started eating hay.... confused and bewildered. We didn't have a spare lamb to mother on to her until the morning, when we got one from Nigel Fawcett........ but it was too late.... she was past the point... we tried for 4 days without success... We asked the vet what to do about her milk and watched for several days to make sure that she didn't get mastitis... she is now fine and back to her usual tricks........ Still wanting to spend time in the barn wandering round with me.......... but now we have Bertie....... and that's another story!!
It was a Friday afternoon when she went into labour..... I was with her all the way through..... Nigel's father had been rushed into hospital that day, and we were trying to make sure that his mum was cared for too... so our hands were full to say the least with Nigel elsewhere.
It was way to early.......... a tiny little lamb was born, too small to stand up on her own... I knew I had to get some colostrum into her to stand any chance of survival... I rushed home and made up a bottle....... but she was too small to take it and I feared I would drown her........ Tubing was the only option.... I'd done this with a dead lamb at my class but never on such a small live one...... the main thing was to measure the tube to know how much to leave out on the mouth and not to go down the wrong way into the lungs.... if you could hear breath sounds out of the end then you were in the wrong place........ Oh no... each time I could hear breath sounds.... I had started to panic and my lack of experience was showing.....think think... I put her down and jumped into the pickup and headed for Julia..... she's got years of experience and would know what to do......... she came immediately.........
This lamb is getting cold she said........ but at least we did get the tube in and some colostrum into her....... We need a lamp.... so back we went... we had a generator so power wasn't the problem.... oh no.. just how to start it........ we couldn't... so I put the lamb down my jumper to get her warmed up and headed home, leaving poor Pees in her pen.......
I had heard of people putting lambs in the bottom of an aga... so I turned on the oven, but on a warming temperature... warmed a tea towel and wrapped the lamb in it....... she was warmed within 20 mins with her colour turning back to pink...
I lit the fire in the lounge and rested her down in a place where she wouldn't roast but would stay warm......... She had been born just before 5.00 p.m. and she left us just before 10.00......... peaceful and quiet...... and warm..........
Poor Peewee, I put her back into the holding pen with all her friends... she was so needy.... I sat and loved her until she started eating hay.... confused and bewildered. We didn't have a spare lamb to mother on to her until the morning, when we got one from Nigel Fawcett........ but it was too late.... she was past the point... we tried for 4 days without success... We asked the vet what to do about her milk and watched for several days to make sure that she didn't get mastitis... she is now fine and back to her usual tricks........ Still wanting to spend time in the barn wandering round with me.......... but now we have Bertie....... and that's another story!!
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