Ahh, it’s good to be back in bed, after an eventful morning.
I went in to check the sheep a little after 6 this morning, and was greeted by this little fellow; all alone, dirty and calling out for his mother.
He was born in the half hour or so before I reached him. Because he’s a Blackface, I knew his mother would be a Blackface Gimmer – but which one? There were 4/5 nearby, I got them all to stand and, sure enough, their were signs of birth ‘gunk’ coming out of one of them. I caught her, penned her (in the new pens myself and Murdo erected on Monday) and checked her. Not a drop of milk. Both sides flat as a pancake, although her left was ever so slightly bigger.
Off to the kitchen went myself and the little lamb, to give him colostrum. He was lively enough and soon gobbled down around 100ml of it.
Yes, that is a rubber glove on my hand. My right hand is covered in scratches and cuts from stuff I’ve done this week, so thought it better to cover it.
This is a wee clip of what he sounds like suckling.
After feeding, I dried him off with a towel, gave his umbilical cord a squirt of iodine and put him back with his mother. I am certain he will be fine and hopefully his mother will produce milk soon!
Now lets see if I can sleep for another hour or two!
Air an Lot 