Spring's First Lambs

Just like I figured, I had to be gone all day Saturday, March 1, to get my first lambs.  Momma gave me a set of 10 pound twins, a ram lamb and a ewe lamb.  I got home from my syrup festival about 9 pm and went to the barn.  The lambs were still wet and Momma was still down.  Fortunately, last week, I took a solid-sided wooden crate, turned it on end, boxed up the top 2/3 of the crate, cut a hole in the top big enough to run the plug end of an electrical cord through and then hung a heat lamp on the inside of the box.  Both lambs were in the box.  Momma was laying nearby.

Last year this same ewe had 17 pound-apiece twins and because they had to be pulled and both lambs were lost within 36 hours of birth.  So I milked the ewe by hand to supplement other bottle babies.  This year, Momma isn't sure that she wants lambs to suckle, so I'm making periodic trips to the barn to tie up Momma and let the lambs suckle.  Things are looking better as she no longer tries to run them over and reaches back to smell them.  A big improvement.  I will get pictures of the "warming hut" and post them.  Seems like by the time I get done ensuring that both lambs have eaten, I'm cold and my main goal is to hurry back to the house.

Photos of the lambs will also be posted.  Did I mention that these lambs are by my Bluefaced Leicester ram and a Border Leicester X Bluefaced Leicestser ewe.  Their coats already are showing great promise.  And they are cute and follow me everywhere!