#LAMBMETRICS for the day
Drysdale & English Leicester Flocks
Born today: 8
Total Lambs Born: 14
Drysdale lambs (live total): 11
English Leicester lambs (live total): 1
English Leicester X lambs (live total): 0
Total Sets of Twins born: 5
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Total ewe lambs: 10
Total ram lambs: 4
Ewes lambed /70: 9 (12.8 %)
Lamb % : 133 % [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 2 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]
Castledale & Merino Flocks
Born today: 5
Total Lambs Born: 5
Merino lambs (live total): 2
Castledale lambs (live total): 3
Total Sets of Twins born: 2
Total Sets of Triplets born: 0
Ewes lambed /62: 3 (4.84 %)
Lamb % : 166% [live]
Assisted/Dystocias: 0
Losses: 0 [lamb]; 0 [ewe]
NOTABLE MIDWIFERY TALES:
It’s been a challenging couple of days. As a result this blog post will be the slightly direct-to-the-point kind.
The weather has been quite mild (thankfully) which has been kind on human and sheep.
Yesterday started poorly from the outset when it became very quickly obvious that this is going to be a bad year for fox activity. Unfortunately, this introduced pest predator has a devastating impact on small native wildlife and on lambs.
The first lambs born the other day were targeted. One had perished – her throat ripped out – the other was ill due to the wounds on her head. (The foxes aim to crush the skull.)
The ill one is currently still in the shed with her mother and we are having to milk the ewe and bottle feed the lamb because she can’t suck the ewe’s teat at present.
She’s had wounds treated, antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory and there has been some improvement. Thankfully. She’s a little sweetie.
The other loss was an English Leicester ram lamb. One of newborn twins, it appears a fox has grabbed it whilst the mother was occupied with the ewe lamb. 🙁
Add to that a suspected case of pneumonia in a lamb born the other day and the hospital pens are full.
And that was just in the Twins group.
Last night a few changes were made – basically we’re camping out there with the sheep now.
Yesterday there were several lambs born in the Singles Group.
Today, down in the Singles group two of the lambs were discovered had been wounded by foxes. The alpacas in that paddock (all 6 of them….) are very antsy about dog-like critters.
So tonight? more camping and the Singles mob has been moved closer to the house/sheds for the night.
And to change the subject — do Echidnas “nest” ?? Because one seems to have set up shop in the hay shed… lol
Hopefully I can get a blog in tomorrow!
PS. I’m not a fox lover.