BFL Lamb Batch #2

Today, Tuesday, March 11, 2014, I was fortunate enough to almost be present for lamb birthing.  I got up and was in the barn by 10:00 a.m. EDT and noticed mucous hanging from a ewe's backside.  I went to get some straw to put down and before I was back (walked 175 feet to get straw and then back), there was a very long-legged soaky wet and yellowed ram lamb.  Momma (all my girls are 'Momma' at birthing time) was licking him, but it appeared that another lamb would soon be there so I went to get some towels from the tack room (100 feet to the towels) and turned the water on while I was down near the spigot and by the time I was back there lay another lamb covered in birthing fluids and the sac over his mouth and nose.  He was not moving and even though I was ready to go to town, I jumped in and pulled him from his fluid-filled existence and swung him by the hind legs to clear his nose and mouth.  He began kicking so I wrapped him in a towel and cleared his mouth of all mucous with my fingers.  This little fellow was sopping wet and covered in blood and birthing fluids and I rubbed him to get him closer to dry than he was.  After exhausting two large bath towels, I put him near Momma where he began to scream for her at the top of his lungs.  Momma responded by licking him and at last look about 15 minutes ago (3:40 p.m. EDT) he and his brother were hungrily engaged in a nursing contest.

These are two nice sized Bluefaced Leicester crosses, but mostly Bluefaced Leicester.  Their mom has blue skin on her nose and these two boys are definitely BFL because their little faces look almost black.  If anyone out there needs I nice-sized silky-fleeced ram for breeding purposes, I now have 3 BFL crosses, all between 65-85% BFL.

I have other things to do this afternoon and informed "my girls" that the time to birth is this afternoon before the cold moves in tomorrow.  I almost turned the warming box off this morning and I'm glad I didn't.  Well, I have Visiting Teaching to do so I must depart until later.  I have to find my camera.  I have lamb pictures as well as warming box pictures to post, but where is that dratted camera when I need it!!!!