Drysdales

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born 11-12/9/19: 4
Total Lambs Born: 69
Drysdale lambs (live total): [no purebreds in 2019]
DrysdaleX lambs (total): 37
English Leicester lambs (live total): 31
Total Sets of Twins born: 15
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 33
Total ram lambs: 36
Ewes lambed /68: 54 (79.4 %)
Lamb % : 125 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 8
Losses: 1

Notable Midwifery tales:

Just when you think the season is quietly just limping to a close…

Brought two lambs and their mothers in this morning as they had seemed a little “flat” and hollow. As of this evening they’re already showing a great deal of improvement after some antibiotics so we’re hoping the infections have been caught early enough. It’s always a knife-edge when it comes to timing – they have to look sick enough to justify the treatment but they go downhill very fast at this age so it doesn’t take much to be that fraction late.

A couple of very small lambs born yesterday and today. Maiden ewes with their first lambs – one hadn’t even really looked pregnant! As long as they grow fast it’s all good.

Although, one (from yesterday) has ended up in the shed tonight as it was looking a little peaky and I am concerned the mother may have early mastitis. (Odd for a Drysdale maiden ewe but never say never…) Fingers crossed because this little ‘un doesn’t have the body mass to sustain it for very long. (She refused a bottle too)

On a slightly different note…. the “has to be ONE SUPER WEIRD thing every year” note… One of the ewes that lambed today literally nearly choked to death on the lamb birth membranes. The lamb had been born and hadn’t rolled much so the thin covering was still in place. The ewe started to eat them off (as they usually do) she must have had too much of a mouthful and then – she choked. Right in front of me. She coughed and coughed and COUGHED and couldn’t shift it. Her tongue was turning blue. I desperately tried to pat her on the back/side/anywhere as well as an attempt at a Heimlich maneuver!!! Stroked up (the outside) of her throat. Just anything. I was feeling very helpless. Thankfully, she managed to get it to move somehow and then she was feeling quite shaky. (So was I) After that we both needed a Bex and a lie down!!

****

The ewes and lambs have now been shifted to the bigger paddock and it’s pleasing to see the lambs growing well.

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 1
Total Lambs Born: 56
Drysdale lambs (live total): [no purebreds in 2019]
DrysdaleX lambs (total): 32
English Leicester lambs (live total): 23
Total Sets of Twins born: 12
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 25
Total ram lambs: 31
Ewes lambed /68: 44 (64.7 %)
Lamb % : 125 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 8
Losses: 1

Notable Midwifery tales:

Only one lamb to add to the Metrics today.

When the (multitude of) lambs received their late night bottle last night a ewe was heard yelling. The comment at the time was:
“What’s the bet that’s a Leicester?”
“Not taking that one” was the reply.

Turns out we were both wrong. It was a Drysdale. And she’d taken the Shepherdess’s regular advice to heart: If you’re in trouble then YELL and the Shepherdess will come and fix it.

So, at 10pm there was a (vocal) ewe doing laps around the Shepherdess’s legs – the Shepherdess was doing her best lamb imitation – in the torchlight until the opportunity came to careful lie the ewe down.

The trusty torch revealed some yellow-stained tippy-toes sticking out of the vulva of Drysdale 543 (Grand-daughter of her Imperial Highness Kimmy, just by the way, no wonder she was has attitude) so time was of the essence as the lamb was now stressed.

The lamb was a bit large but extraction was relatively simple and straightforward – in less than five minutes a strapping lad was placed in front of an eager mother to lick.

Both the Shepherdess and the Deupty Shepherdess are hoping the remaining ewes are not over-cooking their lambs now because being over-cooked often means trouble in the delivery.

We won’t worry about that too much though – let’s just enjoy what we have.

Here’s a rainbow picture from in between showers and sunshine this afternoon. More fun tomorrow?