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Lambmetrics – 1st August 2021

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 2
Total Lambs Born: 2
Drysdale lambs (live total): 2
English Leicester lambs (live total): 0
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 0
Total Sets of Twins born: 1
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 2
Total ram lambs: 0
Ewes lambed /70: 1  (1.4 %)
Lamb % : 200 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 0 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 0
Merino lambs (live total): 0
Castledale lambs (live total): 0
Total Sets of Twins born: 0
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 0
Total ram lambs: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 0  (0 %)
Lamb % : 0% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 0 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

Welcome to Lambing 2021!

 

First “cab off the rank”, as usual, was a Drysdale ewe this afternoon who delivered a healthy set of purebred twin ewes.

Twins are often a little “early” although I tend to find that the first to lamb are not the textbook “5 month gestation” but are actually “5 months less a week”. Good thing they made it into the Maternity Paddocks yesterday!

Regular blog readers will have spotted a change this year in the info/layout. Yep, trying something new this year!
Slightly nervous…. Normally I don’t “count” the Merino and Castledale flocks in this LambMetrics silliness but the pregnancy numbers were lower this year and I’ve had a few paddock challenges this year so am trialing this idea of lambing down the not-as-tame breeds alongside the quiet English Leicesters and Drysdales. One aim is to try and reduce some of the losses which I’ve never been able to quite pinpoint the cause of. All a bit of an experiment…. May not work. haha

The system this year is that the ewes scanned with twins are in the Day Paddock/ Night Paddock arrangement – drifted back and forth between the 2 paddocks daily. The ewes scanned with single lambs are in a larger paddock so won’t need moving. (Hopefully)

However. Today was all about this lovely Drysdale ewe who lambed late in the afternoon. She now has 2 pretty ewe lambs and they are tucked up in the shed to make sure the lambs are both sucking well before they go to the Mothers Paddock.

Stay Calm and Follow your Lambs!

LambMetrics – 8th September 2020

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 115
Drysdale lambs (live total): 52
English Leicester lambs (live total): 40
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 14
Total Sets of Twins born: 37
Total Sets of Triplets born: 1
Total ewe lambs: 59
Total ram lambs: 56
Ewes lambed /77: 77  (100 %)
Lamb % : 137 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 11
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Extra Stats!

A few extra stats below – includes a bit of a tidy up and re-jig so some may not exactly line up with the above ones.

 

English Leicester – stud

English Leicester – coloured flock

Drysdale

Ewe lambs

19

9

25

Ram lambs

7

16

27

Sets of Twins

9

10

16

Ewes lambed

15

17

37

Ewes empty

1

4

2

Total Lambing (born live) %

162%

119%

133%

Assisted/Dystocia

3

5

3

Losses (Stillborn/Predation/Illness)

2

1

5

Lambs needing bottle feeding

1

0

0

Lambs requiring treatment for infection

0

1

4

Notable Midwifery tales:

That’s basically it with the LambMetrics for 2020! Thank you for coming along for the ride. 🙂

I will be trying to maintain some sort of blog (maybe once a week?) from now on.

Here are a couple of pics that cannot possibly convey the absolute Cuteness of Flopsy’s little ram lamb. He’s so Stinking Cute. I will attempt to get some video … (he was playing with a white EL lamb today and it was hysterical with this bouncy, small bundle of fluff next to a leggy white one… LOL)

LambMetrics – 7th September 2020

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 2
Total Lambs Born: 115
Drysdale lambs (live total): 52
English Leicester lambs (live total): 40
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 14
Total Sets of Twins born: 37
Total Sets of Triplets born: 1
Total ewe lambs: 59
Total ram lambs: 56
Ewes lambed /77: 77  (100 %)
Lamb % : 137 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 11
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Notable Midwifery tales:

TA DA!

Sheep – deflated

How many times have I been warning this ewe that if she held on to them for too long she’d end up needing help?! Humph. They never listen! 😛

She decided she was going to lamb under the Favourite Tree (aka “The Tree That Wendy Hates”) because it’s lovely and DRY. It’s also got sticks and limbs down and Wendy has to crawl in on hands and knees to get under there. Ugh.

Just one problem – it’s oops if they need help under there. *facepalm*

I stared at this ewe and thought, she’s in labour, she may be okay but I’m not sure and I have to go out for several hours*. Hmmmm

Tiny whimper bleat.

Righto. Gloves on!

First lamb seemed a bit of a chunk but wasn’t convinced she wasn’t just being a little bit “posh to push”. Hmmm But when I saw the little (black) foot I also saw meconium stain and ding ding it’s stressed so heave that lump out for her.

I’d better fish around for #2 while I’m here….. 2 toes… good… head? Nope. Hmmm. Maybe it’s back legs? Hmm nope, that’s an elbow not a hock.

Meanwhile, the ewe won’t stand still for me now. Time to Call a(n Assistant) Midwife!

With the wonderful calming skills of the Assistant Midwife it is then possible for the Midwife to make full use of the whole arm obstetric gloves. Uh huh.

Thankfully the ewe is quite “roomy in there” so that’s easier on the hands and I’m able to find the neck of the lamb and maneuver the head/neck into the correct position. Then it’s a simple task. Another black ram lamb.

So that’s it! Cassie should lamb early-mid October but the main lot are all DONE.

Tomorrow I’ll try have some more fun stats to mull over. But now I have to go feed lambs.

 

 * this included having to take Floss to the vet again. Poor darling. Very sad puppy. Blood work showing a raging infection of something so more antibiotics and hopefully that will make an impact overnight.

 

LambMetrics – 6th September 2020

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 113
Drysdale lambs (live total): 52
English Leicester lambs (live total): 38
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 14
Total Sets of Twins born: 36
Total Sets of Triplets born: 1
Total ewe lambs: 59
Total ram lambs: 54
Ewes lambed /77: 76  (98.7 %)
Lamb % : 137 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 10
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Notable Midwifery tales:

Still nothing.

Waaaaiitttting

With “no action at the station” there were a few more lambs tagged and tailed this morning.

Sun was shining.

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

PS. Thanks for the kind enquiries about Floss. Still having some issues with a high temperature but working on that. Off to the vet again in the morning.

LambMetrics – 5th September 2020

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 113
Drysdale lambs (live total): 52
English Leicester lambs (live total): 38
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 14
Total Sets of Twins born: 36
Total Sets of Triplets born: 1
Total ewe lambs: 59
Total ram lambs: 54
Ewes lambed /77: 76  (98.7 %)
Lamb % : 137 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 10
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Notable Midwifery tales:

*insert holding pattern here*

Still waiting. *facepalm*  One ewe left and she looks the side of a house but she’s just chewing her cud (and smirking).

Tagged and tailed some lambs today and then took a few hours off.  Hopefully no-one will tell the boss I took 2hrs off this month. It’s only been 6 weeks since the last time. 😛

As a result – forgot to take photos so here’s a selection of lambing highlights plus a pic of a harnessed sheep. Yeah, another with a partial prolapse but this one was pretty chill about the whole deal. And had twins. The neighbours have had dreadful trouble this year with prolapse, they said. I’m going to re-analyze my mineral supplement schedule to try and avoid such things again. That said – this was the best autumn/winter for grass growth in at least 40 years for us. Different seasons present different metabolic issues. LOL  Nature…!

LambMetrics – 4th September 2020

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#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 113
Drysdale lambs (live total): 52
English Leicester lambs (live total): 38
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 14
Total Sets of Twins born: 36
Total Sets of Triplets born: 1
Total ewe lambs: 59
Total ram lambs: 54
Ewes lambed /77: 76  (98.7 %)
Lamb % : 137 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 10
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Notable Midwifery tales:

Sometimes waiting the last lamb/s to be born seems to take forever.

No lambs today….. The remaining ewe has been given a(nother) pep talk about “not cooking them for too long”. She chewed her cud and walked off so I would suspect that’s similar to “the finger”. Humph.

That means …. more random lambspam photos for tonight because the only other item of excitement for the day was taking Floss to the vet this afternoon. (She’s running a temperature).

  • Drysdale twins
  • Drysdale ewe and lamb
  • Minty’s ram lamb
  • Minty’s ram lamb having morning tea
  • Panda and her twins
  • Flopsy’s little lad