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You are here: Home / Archives for Drysdales

Drysdales

LambMetrics – 28th August 2021

August 28, 2021 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the last few days

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 107
Drysdale lambs (live total): 48
English Leicester lambs (live total): 37
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 13
Total Sets of Twins born: 35
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 53
Total ram lambs: 54
Ewes lambed /70: 70  (100 %)
Lamb % : 140 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 11
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 4
Total Lambs Born: 99
MerinoX lambs (live total): 25
Castledale lambs (live total): 67
Total Sets of Twins born: 38
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 61  (98.3 %)
Lamb % : 150% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 2
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 1 [ewe]

 


NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

Down to only 1 ewe still pregnant. I think. (I don’t have the hi-viz tags on the Merino and Castledale ewes and it’s got confusing with a paddock full of lambs. lol)

Beautiful day today but the other night – straight after the blog – was drama-filled when I went back to feed lambs and went to try get 2 lambs back with their mother and then discovered a ewe “down” and her (new) lamb missing.

Found it under a fallen tree. Couldn’t tell if a fox had tried to grab it or if it had bled a bit due to getting itself into a tight spot.

The Merino ewe is okay now but wasn’t interested in her lamb whatsoever. And at 9pm I wasn’t going to muck about – a jacket, a bottle and a warm shed were in its future. (The ICU Small Animal rugs are awesome – I can put a heat pack in the jacket to keep the lamb snug all night.) Lamby is now doing well.

And then there was another lamb whose mother didn’t want it.

Those of you keeping track will realise this means that now I have WAY TOO MANY lambs on the bottle.

I caved. I got the special “Lambar” feeder to make like easier for Mum and I.

The poddy lambs may need a blog post all their own. There are a variety of reasons the lambs are on the bottle – ranging from fox attack injuries to orphans. They are quite the “gang” now!

One set of twins is on the bottle because their mum had been ill and subsequently didn’t have quite enough milk when they were born.

This ewe had a partial vaginal prolapse. The “retainer” normally ties to the wool but short wool necessitates a harness to “hold it all in”!

There was a request for a Floss update.

You will be pleased to know that Floss appears to have made a full recovery! Thank you all for the love, prayers and good wishes for her.

Floss – nearly 2 yrs old

The other day was International Dog Day or some such thing. So here are some pics of the other dogs here. 🙂

Bramble and Brighid are slowing down now. Maggie isn’t an awesome sheepdog generally but she’s been very useful on the night rounds during lambing. She’s been taking “guard dog” duties very seriously!

  • Bramble – aged 12
  • Bramble & Brighid – litter sisters
  • Maggie

Today was so lovely – so here are some flowers in the garden too.

  • Peach – “Lady Palmerston”
  • “Silver Princess” – E. caesia spp

Supposed to rain tonight – obviously that means the last sheep will probably lamb!

Hopefully the stats can be wrapped up tomorrow!

LambMetrics – 26th August 2021

August 26, 2021 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the last few days

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 1
Total Lambs Born: 107
Drysdale lambs (live total): 48
English Leicester lambs (live total): 37
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 13
Total Sets of Twins born: 35
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 53
Total ram lambs: 54
Ewes lambed /70: 70  (100 %)
Lamb % : 140 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 11
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 5
Total Lambs Born: 97
MerinoX lambs (live total): 21
Castledale lambs (live total): 67
Total Sets of Twins born: 37
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 59  (95.2 %)
Lamb % : 149% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 2
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 1 [ewe]

 


NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

Things have slowed right down now. All the English Leicesters are done. (Still need to go through my numbers through as I’ve made a mistake somewhere!)

There are a couple of Merino ewes still to lamb. One lambed twins this afternoon but she only wants one. I am not amused.

Meanwhile…. enjoy the lambs in the sunshine 🙂

  • Tulip and her lamb
  • Tulip and her lamb
  • The last English Leicester lamb for 2021
  • The last English Leicester lamb for 2021

And a snippet of the chaos and mayhem that as we get ready for feed time!

Way too many on the bottle but I guess that means I saved them….

LambMetrics – 22nd August 2021

August 22, 2021 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the last 2 days

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 1
Total Lambs Born: 103
Drysdale lambs (live total): 48
English Leicester lambs (live total): 32
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 13
Total Sets of Twins born: 33
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 49
Total ram lambs: 53
Ewes lambed /70: 67  (95.7 %)
Lamb % : 138.8 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 11
Losses: 9 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 0
Total Lambs Born: 92
MerinoX lambs (live total): 17
Castledale lambs (live total): 66
Total Sets of Twins born: 35
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 55  (88.7 %)
Lamb % : 148.9% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 2
Losses: 7 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

 


NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

Not a lot to report for today. Things are winding down and no doubt will drag on for a few days yet.

Warm and sunny today the lambs (being solar-powered!) were enjoying themselves immensely.

Here’s some lambspam for you to enjoy too. 🙂

  • Drysdale Ewe and lamb
  • Drysdale Ewes and lambs
  • Drysdale Ewes and lambs
  • Penelope checking things out
  • Newborn English Leicester lamb
  • Newborn English Leicester lamb
  • Pet lamb
  • English Leicester lamb
  • English Leicester Ewe and lamb
  • Drysdale Ewe with EL x Drysdale lamb

LambMetrics – September 12th 2019

September 13, 2019 by Wendy Beer

#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:

Evening drinkies

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.

3 weeks old

LambMetrics – September 10, 2019

September 10, 2019 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born 8-10/9/19: 9
Total Lambs Born: 65
Drysdale lambs (live total): [no purebreds in 2019]
DrysdaleX lambs (total): 34
English Leicester lambs (live total): 30
Total Sets of Twins born: 15
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 30
Total ram lambs: 35
Ewes lambed /68: 50 (73.5 %)
Lamb % : 128 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 8
Losses: 1

Notable Midwifery tales:

Beautiful spring day today.

Just the one set of twins to greet us this morning. Possibly another lamb “on the way” tonight too.

The older lambs and their mothers have been shifted to the Big Paddock from the small paddock they’ve been in. Keeping them in a smaller areas assists the Shepherdess in making sure everyone is getting enough milk and doing okay. (We learn from our mistakes, hopefully)

That paddock was getting a little crowded so the ewes and lambs willing to come running were drifted off yesterday and they are now enjoying a paddock with a View.

Lacey with her daughter, Charly, on their way to the Big Paddock.
NotSquishy loves coming over for a scratch.

Things are starting to quieten a little. Most of the “milking” problems have resolved and only 2-3 need a spare bottle top-up rather than the 12 that there was a week ago. Here’s hoping it lasts..!

LambMetrics – September 7th 2019

September 7, 2019 by Wendy Beer

#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?

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