So today our old sheep Lonny died, and 2 lambs were born.  Lonny laid down for the last time in the late morning while Heidi was in early labor.  She delivered just after lunch and he died a little later in the afternoon.  I cannot remember having birth and death so close together in time.

Lonny was a great sheep.  He was not particularly friendly but not fearful either.  He never caused any trouble and had a gorgeous white crimpy fleece.  He was out of our ram Graham and one of my first ewes Primolana Lucille.  She was  a large white Shetland with reddish (pheo) facial and leg markings.  There are many funny stories of me trying to wrangle her for various tasks that she did not await to participate in.  But Lonny was nothing like this.  Very agreeable and laid back.  He will be sorely missed.

Meanwhile Heidi is one of our wild uncooperative sheep so I could not get within 100 feet of her in labor to see how it was progressing.  When she pushed the first lamb out I was able to help towel him off and bulb suction his mouth.  She then delivered the second one easily.  I got Tom to help me, and we dipped their cords in iodine and then moved all three of them to the clean barn pen.  I stripped her very large teats and made sure they nursed.

This is the first black ram lamb with some white facial markings.

And this is the second brown ram lamb.

They are all doing well, and I have one more ewe likely to deliver this tonight.