We have 7 lambs on the ground. Ewe twins for Ruthie on Easter Monday, then boy / girl twins for Trifle a few days later, and Buttercup had girl twins a week later. The other ewe from last year had a single boy, I never named her, can't think of anything suitable. Maybe Ophelia.
On the down side, Liquorice seemingly pinched a nerve or something during her pregnancy, as her good back leg stopped working. Took her to the shed, and pulled a backwards facing boy, perfectly formed but already dead last Tuesday. She birthed his twin sister unassisted a little later, also dead. Same day had to take Snow to the vet for a mommy stitch. She had a uterine prolapse, about 2 inches sticking out, and she was pushing. Did an ultrasound to check whether her lamb (s) were still alive, yep, so the vet gave her an epidural and pushed it back in then sewed her up, as I explained to Herbie, like a drawstring rubbish bag. Took her back home, company for Liquorice in the shed. I kept watch on her as I had to undo the mommy stitch so she could birth. Happened at last. Nose sticking out, with a large tongue hanging out, no feet. Struggled to pull him, and when he eventually came out, I thought he was dead, but he moved. Dried him off, stuck his tongue back in his mouth. Snow cleaned him too, but wouldn't let him nurse, she was still pushing. Another one coming, but I couldn't feel it. Little while later, a leg. Couldn't feel the other leg, nor the head. Presented backwards too, a little girl who came out in pieces. She wasn't fully formed. I bottle fed the little boy with LambSav, and although he perked up a little, later in the evening he went pap, so I took him back to die with his mum. Sunday morning I delivered Snow to the butcher. Prolapse could be genetic, so I don't want to go through another pregnancy with her, although this is the first prolapse I've had in 6 years. Tuesday morning there was another little boy in the paddock, lying dead next to the afterbirth, and I'm not sure which ewe lambed him. Either Rose, or the scruffy looking nameless one. Was perfectly formed so not sure what happened. This absolutely sucks. Then last night, I took Liquorice out back and shot her. She can't survive pulling herself around with only her front legs working, and although I fed her extra things to get some weight back on her, she was just skin and bone. Still makes me sad, she was my favourite but it just wasn't fair to try and keep her alive. We'd worked through the depression after the death of her lambs, and although she was eating well (and pooping very well) it wasn't workable having her around anymore. I stayed with her, chatting and stroking her while she ate her last corn, then put the gun against her head and pulled the trigger. Poor girl. She was beautiful.
There were about 30 deer in our hay field yesterday ! Damn buck ! And the fence was pulled down in many places again, and there were 3 trees fallen on the one side too. Know what I'll be doing later. Maybe I should put Rosco out in the back pasture to keep the deer away. Difficult to grow a hay field when the deer think it's their personal picnic.
Lisa is huge, and gorgeous. Think she's going to be heavier than Anni, Herbie says she's built like a boy. She's learning the ways of the farm. Sits and lies down very nicely when I ask, but only if I have a treat in my hand, although she knows to sit to be petted.
First calves are expected later this month or early May. Little Red and Daisy May should be first, with Dolly about 3 months later.
Well, we went through all 70 round bales of hay I bought last year, so getting a few more in from Russ. He called to say his one cow died and he sold the other so he had hay, but when I went to fetch last week, saw he has 3 new heifers, an Ayeshire and 2 Jerseys in the field next to their house. Really need to sell the horses, those hay burners.
Went walking on the trail last week, and Herbie saw wild leeks. So we picked enough to fill our pockets, hard with only a stick, and I cooked them for lunch with butter over pasta.
Chickens are laying well, getting around 2 dozen eggs a day already. The one Toulouse goose is sitting on eggs in the window well. Hopefully this year there will be Toulouse goslings as Manda wants to buy some.
And the Clivia that Betsi gave me is flowering, delicate orange blossoms. Will try take a photo later. Keep being interrupted by a hawk that's flying over the sheep. Not going to lose a lamb to a hawk. This season has been hard enough.