Willow is a sheering, and happens to be Vincent's sister, born one of triplets to Rosie, the year that one of her teats stopped working. Willow was the biggest and brightest lamb, latching on to the teat that worked properly, claiming it as her own, so never needing a bottle. This is her first lambing, and our last of the season.
She had started mid morning and I found her when feeding the lambs their elevensies. I put her in a pen and stayed with her. She was clearly having trouble, so I calmed her down, gained her confidence and checked to see what was happening. I managed to find 2 front feet, but couldn't find a head to save my life........ I tried for what felt like an age, and in my rising panic, decided to go for help. As I drove up the road, I saw a farmer friend, so stopped and wound down the window... I've got 2 feet but no head.... "I'll be two minutes" was his reply, so I turned round and went back...
"Small sheep and big lambs" was the deduction... a head was found, but a leg was lost, so a delivery was attempted with just the one.... No good, so everything was pushed back and another attempt was made... Finally Chester was born, rather worse for wear, but alive...... "Hope that leg will be alright" was the conclusion as he had been rather stretched, Willow would never have managed on her own.
Chester was duly licked dry and loved........... but his front left leg was very weak, and he didn't want to use it....... He had no trouble with sucking, so it wasn't going to prevent him from feeding, he was so big that he could kneel down of the front leg that worked properly and reach up for sustenance, but the other needed some physio!!!
Each day I went to feed the pets, I picked him up and exercised his leg, moving each joint backwards and forwards, then massaging them, then the whole leg up and down, he clearly was in no pain whatsoever, but I did give him an anti inflammatory just to help things along. We put Willow and Chester out in home field with the others, and kept a special eye on them. After a couple of days Chester had worked out how to jump the stream on 3 legs, and lolloped about after Willow in a sort of rocking motion... not even trying to use his 4th... until yesterday.
We had to round up all the sheep into the barn to check them before moving them to new pasture.... Poor Chester had no choice but to go with the flock... at a pace he wasn't used to, running with them till I could grab him out of harms way.... we gave him another injection and then shipped him off with his mum and the other babysitters to spend some quality time in a much smaller group in the garth at West Burton...
She had started mid morning and I found her when feeding the lambs their elevensies. I put her in a pen and stayed with her. She was clearly having trouble, so I calmed her down, gained her confidence and checked to see what was happening. I managed to find 2 front feet, but couldn't find a head to save my life........ I tried for what felt like an age, and in my rising panic, decided to go for help. As I drove up the road, I saw a farmer friend, so stopped and wound down the window... I've got 2 feet but no head.... "I'll be two minutes" was his reply, so I turned round and went back...
"Small sheep and big lambs" was the deduction... a head was found, but a leg was lost, so a delivery was attempted with just the one.... No good, so everything was pushed back and another attempt was made... Finally Chester was born, rather worse for wear, but alive...... "Hope that leg will be alright" was the conclusion as he had been rather stretched, Willow would never have managed on her own.
Chester was duly licked dry and loved........... but his front left leg was very weak, and he didn't want to use it....... He had no trouble with sucking, so it wasn't going to prevent him from feeding, he was so big that he could kneel down of the front leg that worked properly and reach up for sustenance, but the other needed some physio!!!
Each day I went to feed the pets, I picked him up and exercised his leg, moving each joint backwards and forwards, then massaging them, then the whole leg up and down, he clearly was in no pain whatsoever, but I did give him an anti inflammatory just to help things along. We put Willow and Chester out in home field with the others, and kept a special eye on them. After a couple of days Chester had worked out how to jump the stream on 3 legs, and lolloped about after Willow in a sort of rocking motion... not even trying to use his 4th... until yesterday.
We had to round up all the sheep into the barn to check them before moving them to new pasture.... Poor Chester had no choice but to go with the flock... at a pace he wasn't used to, running with them till I could grab him out of harms way.... we gave him another injection and then shipped him off with his mum and the other babysitters to spend some quality time in a much smaller group in the garth at West Burton...
So when I went to the field at dusk to give the pets their bottles, I was delighted with the sight that met me. There was Chester, now 10 days old, at the side of their pen, leaping up and down like Tigger, asking them all to join him in the evening chase..... while I was there he spent the whole time running about on all 4 legs and bouncing about with his new found confidence.... Here he is this morning, still with a slight limp, but now we know he will mend, and recover from his uncomfortable start!
Best of all Willow loves him!
Best of all Willow loves him!
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