Lambing! Spring 2011

Last night I had a first hand experience of lambing! I went with my mum to our friends farm where there were over 200 ewes, ready or that had given birth. Whilst there I witnessed the seemingly easy, complicated way of managing these sheep during the lambing season. First I saw how my friend made a concoction called colostrum to give to any of the lambs that had been given a foster mum after being rejected, or those that did not know how to suckle. I got to feed a few of these lambs and they are incredibly sweet! When it was finally my turn to help birth a lamb, my friend first pulled out one of the front legs far enough so I could then pull it. Then you pull the other leg out to the first. Then you pull both of those down, towards the sheep's feet, until you can see a head. If their birthing canal is too tight you can help but putting a few fingers up their rectum and push the head from behind but my sheep had been in labour for a while so was easy. Then once the head's out you clear their nose to help them breath. Then you keep pulling until it's all out but not too far away that the umbilical cord breaks. then unravel the lamb from the sack and either pat it on the chest to start it's breathing or it should be breathing anyway. Once it's okay take it by the back two legs and shake it on the way around to the ewe's front, face him with his back towards her then leave them be. You have to sometimes be weary that another birthing ewe could steal the newborn but generally their mother protects them. After a while you go back and sterilize their 'belly button' with iodine and give them anti-biotics to help with infection. It was an amazing night, and I really want to go back next year!