English Leicester

LambMetrics – 6th August 2021

August 6, 2021 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 3
Total Lambs Born: 17
Drysdale lambs (live total): 10
English Leicester lambs (live total): 4
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 0
Total Sets of Twins born: 6
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 11
Total ram lambs: 6
Ewes lambed /70: 11 (15.7 %)
Lamb % : 127 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 3 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 2
Total Lambs Born: 7
Merino lambs (live total): 0
Castledale lambs (live total): 7
Total Sets of Twins born: 3
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 4 (6.4 %)
Lamb % : 175% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 0 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

Well, I must say I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night!

Nothing like lying there in the dark and listening to every burp, fart, baa, groan and snuffle from over 100 sheep…. LOL

Thankfully, I had a companion in the tent. (Who didn’t set foot outside the tent the entire night! haha)

A vixen was heard at one point (approx 3.15am) along with the clamour of Floss and Maggie barking….

The good news is that along with the lack of sleep and the staggering around the paddock numerous times at ungodly hours there were no further fox problems last night. (Only another 3 weeks to go….. )

So here are some happy snaps.

One of the English Leicester ewes had mismatched (size) twins and is a bit unsure about the small and unsteady one but hopefully another bellyful of colostrum before bed will settle things.

The other is a lovely black, English Leicester EWE lamb out of an ex-bottle lamb. Yay! Good girl, Squeak!

(The Friends of Beersheba Farm subscribers may be competing to get in first on who is naming sponsoring that lass!)

Early to bed tonight! (After I do a quick check, and feed.)

LambMetrics – 5th August 2021

August 5, 2021 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

Born today: 8
Total Lambs Born: 14
Drysdale lambs (live total): 11
English Leicester lambs (live total): 1
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 0
Total Sets of Twins born: 5
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 10
Total ram lambs: 4
Ewes lambed /70: 9 (12.8 %)
Lamb % : 133 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 2 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

Castledale & Merino Flocks

Born today: 5
Total Lambs Born: 5
Merino lambs (live total): 2
Castledale lambs (live total): 3
Total Sets of Twins born: 2
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 3 (4.84 %)
Lamb % : 166% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 0 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]

NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:

It’s been a challenging couple of days. As a result this blog post will be the slightly direct-to-the-point kind.

The weather has been quite mild (thankfully) which has been kind on human and sheep.

Yesterday started poorly from the outset when it became very quickly obvious that this is going to be a bad year for fox activity. Unfortunately, this introduced pest predator has a devastating impact on small native wildlife and on lambs.

The first lambs born the other day were targeted. One had perished – her throat ripped out – the other was ill due to the wounds on her head. (The foxes aim to crush the skull.)

The ill one is currently still in the shed with her mother and we are having to milk the ewe and bottle feed the lamb because she can’t suck the ewe’s teat at present.

She’s had wounds treated, antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory and there has been some improvement. Thankfully. She’s a little sweetie.

The other loss was an English Leicester ram lamb. One of newborn twins, it appears a fox has grabbed it whilst the mother was occupied with the ewe lamb. 🙁

Add to that a suspected case of pneumonia in a lamb born the other day and the hospital pens are full.

And that was just in the Twins group.

Last night a few changes were made – basically we’re camping out there with the sheep now.

Yesterday there were several lambs born in the Singles Group.

Today, down in the Singles group two of the lambs were discovered had been wounded by foxes. The alpacas in that paddock (all 6 of them….) are very antsy about dog-like critters.

So tonight? more camping and the Singles mob has been moved closer to the house/sheds for the night.

And to change the subject — do Echidnas “nest” ?? Because one seems to have set up shop in the hay shed… lol

Hopefully I can get a blog in tomorrow!

PS. I’m not a fox lover.

LambMetrics – 8th September 2020

September 8, 2020 by Wendy Beer

#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

September 7, 2020 by Wendy Beer

#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!

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

September 6, 2020 by Wendy Beer

#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.

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 – 4th September 2020

September 4, 2020 by Wendy Beer

#LAMBMETRICS for the day

Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks

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

English Leicester

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