Monette and Shaun had triplets today. Monette has been acting off the last couple of days, not wanting her grain. Today she started breathing heavy and grinding her teeth. I did an internal check and nothing seemed amiss. So I did animal chores and watched her closely. No real change so I skirted fleeces in the trailer so I could watch her closely. Then finally she lambed. But she left the lamb laying at her behind and did nothing to help it. Thankfully I showed up and removed the amniotic sack and started drying and stimulating. Then Monette got with the program and started licking it. Pretty quickly she started pushing hard but was making no progress. So I went in to feel and found a head and three legs. Not good. After some trying I managed to find one leg that went with the head and pulled that lamb out. Then I went in again to pull a breech lamb out. Again Monette was not interested in licking so I pulled off the sacks, dried and stimulated again. The last lamb seemed a little stunned and had pooped while still in the uterus, but all three recovered quickly. It was Monette that was not recovering well. She would not stand up. I had given her some CMPK before delivery and I gave her a shot of penicillin afterward. I managed to get all three lambs to nurse while she was lying down. Finally after 2 hours she stood up so the triplets have better access to nurse. I hope she will be able to produce enough milk for the triplets. The first and lightest colored one is a ewe lamb. The second black and white one is a ram lamb. And the black one with white on his head is another ram lamb. The first two will fade to white like their mother, but the black one should stay black. Here is the black one learning how to nurse lying down.
Again this is bittersweet. It is our last lambing, at least for a long while. We did not lose any lambs this year nor anyone else including chicks. I feel like we are finally get good at this animal birthing stuff just when we decide to quit. But we will be able to sleep through the night for the first time in 3 1/2 weeks, assuming these lambs are still doing well at bedtime.
Oh, so sweet. I think Monette is tired of all of this work, too, so quitting breeding will be good for her. Sweet to see a little one nursing on a mom, lying down.
Monette is very tired. I just checked them and all four are doing fine. A rough day for all of them but a good outcome.
Congratulations on triplets! That is something I’ve not had – not viable ones, anyway.
Thanks Michelle! I have had several sets of triplets in the sheep and quadruplets in the goats. It is more work though so I prefer twins.
They are all so beautiful! Again, I wish my mother was not so allergic to wool so I could raise sheep as well as goats on our place…
Thanks Brandy. There is a certain sweetness that lambs have that other animals do not. And I love their wool too!
What a way to ‘go out’ though! Hoping that Monette improves quickly and can care for all three. You did good!
Tammy
Thanks Tammy. Did not want drama but got some. They were doing OK this morning except Monette looked tired.
I need a farm, the suburban life just isn’t for me.
The suburban life was not for me either!
Congrats! Are you sure you weren’t really meant to be an obstetrician?
Hope to see you sometime this summer.
Thanks Karen. I am definitely not meant to be an obstetrician. Too much excitement for me. Hope to see you too!
Love the coloring on the lambs. Great job with the delivery assistance. Three will be tough for her, looks like you will have some work to do.
Thanks! It will be tough. I do not want a bottle lamb though.