For the love of our lambs

Since we were late in finding a ram last winter the lambs arrived late this year.  This was a good experience in the do's and don'ts of raising sheep, mainly why lambing should occur in the spring and not late summer.

The first one was born on Maryanna's birthday so she got the privilege of naming it, it was a little ewe now known as "Summer".  She has been strong and alert from the start.

The next lamb was born on Nanny's birthday so it was her turn to name it.  It was a little ram so we warned her not to get too attached, that this one would be heading into the freezer within a year.  She named him "Sunshine" but the kids call him "Sunny".  He was not as quick to his feet.  In fact we soon discovered he had a swollen knee which he could barely put weight on.  He suffered in keeping up with his mother to nurse in the pasture so did not gain weight like he should have. He became very friendly with us as we'd feed him an occasional bottle.

The next lamb, another ram, was born on September 3 while I was checking out at the grocery store.  Normally I'd ignore a call while checking out but two times in a row from our home number means urgent.  It was William who reported the news of the new lamb to me, Paul was out of town and James was inside watching the younger kids so I was relieved that Paul had trained William earlier just what to do with new lambs.  He picked up the lamb and allowed the mother to follow him into a separate pen then did an iodine dip of the cord and gave the mother some fresh hay, grain and water.  Then returned to clean up and bury any placenta left behind.

I suggested we call him "Sept" but the kids thought "Septakar" would be a better name and he now goes by both.  He too showed signs of immediate weakness.  Both Sept and Sunny would be listless in the sheep pen while the mothers were out grazing.  We fed them bottles and wondered why they were so weak.  I spent hours on the phone with experienced sheep farmers, 4-h leaders, vets, meat CSA owners and holistic animal healers.  Each had different advice and diagnoses.  

Now that puts one with no experience in a tricky spot, how to navigate the knowledge and experience of others and apply it intuitively to one's own personal experience.  Have I ever mentioned how many prayers have been offered here in the barn, on our knees in the straw?

By Sunday morning they looked so weak that William and I stayed home from church to care for them; all the while feeling guilty for all the things we did wrong.  To begin with and to ease a little guilt, rams in general are not as strong as ewes at birth.  Second, there is a reason why summer lambing is not recommended, the spring grasses offer the most nutrients for the birthing mothers and summer pasture is dry and lacking what is needed for strong babies and rich milk.  In addition this time of year there is the heaviest worm load which can be detrimental to young lambs.  And lastly, the heat, it simply makes them listless.

We did our best to help but actually may have made them worse.  I was so eager to get Sept drinking a bottle that he may have aspirated some milk and was struggling with every breath.

The vet I consulted with said he could do a $400 emergency call on Sunday but weak lambs don't have much of a chance anyway.  An animal herbalist I got in contact with on Facebook suggested to give them an immediate dose of cayenne and fresh garlic, that that would jump their adrenals and get them to their feet to nurse.  That did help but they needed more.  

                 

I then called our friend Linda Diane Feldt who is experienced in both herbs and cranial sacral therapy.  She has assisted in more than one healing miracle in our family and though she had never worked on a lamb before she was willing to come by and offer what she could.  Her diagnosis for Sunny was a birth injury that had him out of line and swollen on the one knee, he was gently worked on then it was suggested to apply arnica gel every couple of hours.  We saw immediate response!  Sept on the other hand was in worse shape.  One of his lungs was full of fluid, Linda Diane worked to gently move the fluid and there was immediate movement.  Still his breathing was labored and we all prepared ourselves for the possibility that he may not survive the night.  We did what we could and gave him echinacea drops every 2 hours as suggested.  Many urgent prayers were offered from the littlest of voices in our home that evening.  Many tears were wiped as well. 

  

And now I report a miracle - both lambs within a couple of days were on their feet and in the pasture nursing with their mothers.  Both looked so tiny next to Summer but every day got stronger.  I can't tell the gratitude I felt each time I'd peak out my bedroom window and witness them running and jumping in all corners of the pasture.  

  

When we stopped by Stonehedge fiber mill Up North, I filled their ears with many questions about raising sheep and producing quality wool.  They had been doing it for over 25 years and were generous in showing us around the mill and offering suggestions for our flock.

Our wool is waiting in line to be washed, combed, spun and twisted.  I can't wait!  Having the wool in hand, inspecting it and even smelling it for the 5 hour drive Up North has deepened our connection to the sheep and our desire to be good caretakers of them.

We thought we were through with lambing after the third lamb was born.  The fourth ewe was barely a lamb herself and we didn't think she would be giving birth this round.  The surprise came while we were Up North.  A young man from church was hired to take over the farm duties and he called us frantically reporting an injured and bloody lamb,  that it looked like there had been guts coming out of it.  We immediately assumed it was a predator that got one of the weaker lambs but then after a quick head count there were now four lambs.  We moved quickly from grief to joy and laughing.  So the fourth lamb was another little ram and we named it "Bluffholm" after the name of the cabin we were staying in Up North.

Now the sheep aren't nearly as friendly as the goats but we love them just the same and so grateful for the job they do in keeping the pastures down and offering the warmth of their wool and the nourishment of their meat.

Up on the corner sofa in our bed room is the finished fleece of "Buckbeak" our first lamb.  This is the coziest place to fall asleep and favorite spot to pile on for nighttime stories or morning scripture study.  We feel so blessed for the opportunity to learn from the experiences here on the farm and the connection and love we feel for and from our animals.