one of two

Last Saturday morning, the brother of this lamb died. It was a rough birthing all the way around. Two huge lambs that needed to be pulled after a hard laboring on Luna's part. They were all looking a little rough so we kept them confined to the barn so that they could bond and rest and be watched. Even then.

 

They just didn't seem to have that lamb 'spunk' and were spending most of their time sleeping. They were nursing but just didn't seem to be gaining weight as the other lambs have done.

 

We were just starting to supplement feed them when the boy lamb died. The girl lamb wasn't doing so well either. By that evening when I got home she looked like skin and bones and barely had the energy to suck. When we weighed her she was less than he birthweight. Luna didn't seem to have enough milk for both of them, possibly even one.

 

And so, we started by thawing out milk we'd gathered from another ewe, Brownie, a couple of weeks ago. We also had leftover lamb milk replacer from last year on hand, but I just don't feel right about feeding them that stuff. It's like junk food. (not that we don't eat any ourselves, but it's not what you raise your children on exclusively) Instead, we started feeding her with this mix and she's regained enough energy to start nursing again, is starting to put on some weight, and now is out in the field with her mama and the rest of the flock.

 

We'll likely be feeding her a little on the side for awhile, probably mornings and evenings, as we're not sure she's getting enough milk on her own.

Done