Thursday, March 31, 2011

It's 11:00; here are the details

Sorry folks, I thought that announcing "One of each from Annabelle" made it clear I got ram/ewe twins from Mother Jugs!

Bonny arrived around noon, just before I got home from hauling a horse for someone. After making sure she and Bronwen were doing fine, I went to the house to post "It's a GIRL!" Annabelle wasn't doing a thing - no eating, no cudding, no straining, no restlessness; nothing. That made me think something was going on. Around 2:30 I went down to check on her again, and there she was with dark, wet twins. The lanky ramling, in fact, was still laying in a puddle of birthing fluids with only his face clear of the sack; he must have just arrived. The smaller ewe lamb was already up and vigorously searching for a teat, striking out with her wee front leg in frustration over not being able to find it, the little pistol!

Both lambs appear to be Ag grey, with very different types of birth coats. The ewe (on the right) looks black, but has some white hairs in her ears and faint "sugar lips." The ramling is beautifully "marbled" in coloring. Both show far more signs of Ag than their sire ever did, which I find interesting.
"Little sister" glowing a bit red under the heat lamp. She has a tiny tail and more of a "dog coat."

"The marbled man" - both sides of him. He has a crimpy coat, and small horn buds - I suspect he's a half-poll. Their names have not come to me yet; I'll keep you posted.

So the 2011 lambing results are four lambs from three ewes; two rams and two ewes - all born on Thursdays! Ruth was the first one to guess that in my lambing contest, so she wins the quilted wall-hanging (to be). Guess I'd better get on that!

That truly is IT for today at . . .

13 comments:

Rayna said...

Beautiful little bersugget boy! Yay for lambs!

Theresa said...

Yea for a couple of girls! They are all adorable though and congratulations to Ruth. That wall hanging is going to be lovely!

Deb W said...

So have you completed lambing for this year? It must be very satisfying. Is that 2 girls? And how many rams? I always lose track of how many ewesm how many lambs, with several friends lambing. What is a 'dog coat?" They are precious!!!

janna e said...

What a great end to your very long wait. I wonder if there are some "B" names that have anything to do with being tardy, or maybe being patient! A long week for you, for sure. They are all wonderful, great looking little kiddos. Congrats to you, and congrats to Ruth. I hope you post a photo of the wall hanging when it is finished.

Kara said...

Congrats! Good looking lambs!

Anonymous said...

What cute babies... Glad all arrived safe and sound! And I'm soooo excited! Even tho all we own are Suffolks and one lone adopted Shetland wether, I love their wool. I sit and hug 'em and smell their heads and love the earthy, sheepy scent.

Kelly said...

Congrats Michelle. I'm so happy you got a second ewe lamb. I'm still waiting here..........

Franna said...

Yeaaaaa! Nice little guys, there. I'm having gulmoget envy :-)

thecrazysheeplady said...

All so cute! What do you mean by a dog coat?

Michelle said...

A "dog coat" refers to a straighter, wavy fleece rather than a crimpy one. It doesn't speak to the fleece a sheep will have upon maturity; both types of birth coat can end up very nice (or not).

Potosi Sheep Farm said...

Congrats! Your description of the babies is an education. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Wow, a busy day! Congrats on the ewe lambs and the beautiful colors :) How much do your Shetland lambs weigh at birth?

Michelle said...

Shannon, the single gulmoget ewe lamb weighed over 6#, and Annabelle's twins together weighed just under 7# (one was just over 3# and one was 3.75#).