"HEY, I'm eating for TWO here!"Shortly after 6:00 she started making real progress, but it looked to me like a nose and a back foot showing. Although I wasn't expecting twins, I decided to run to the house to get a glove and some lubricant. Rick drove in right then so he pulled the supplies from his truck and came down to the fold with me - where we found a white ram lamb already trying to stand! In what, all of five minutes?
He was stained with meconium, indicating some stress in the womb, but as we watched he started looking for supper. That's a Shetland for you. :-)
Cute as he is, I must admit I'm disappointed in the outcome. No clue whatsoever on the sire, a ram, and great big horn buds to boot (just biggify the two photos above to see!). He's a strapping lad, though (weighed 6 lb. 14 oz. after a bit of supper), so I will count my blessings, and name him Bosco. Blake can't wait to play!
That's it for today (I hope!) at . . .
18 comments:
oh what a joy that she finally lambed! What a bummer she had a boy with horn buds :(
I went running to the house for my camera and in that time my ewe Booto had a smirslet fawn kat ram lamb. She hadn't even passed the water bag when I had left and he was already trying to stand up!
Handsome little fellow horn buds and all. Maybe it's just going to be a boy year? I'm sure everyone who has and breeds sheep know this but what type of distress does the staining indicate?
I was also curious about the staining. My single lamb last year had it and while I don't know about the black lamb, his white twin had it yesterday. Of course, their mother struggled and was nursed through pregnancy toxemia for the last month. But what other sorts of stresses would cause the meconium staining?
Awe, there is nothing more precious than a mother and her newborn, no matter what species. I swear you can see the love in her eyes.
Healthy lamb=blessing. What a wonderful way to start April.
What a cutie! Ok, in the comments somebody said something about the type of lamb he had born. Lots of terminology in there I've got no clue about. I'm assuming it's color patterns or something? Smirslet fawn kat...........I could google it I suppose.. :) Thanks! And glad you've got another one lambed and out of the way! Only one or two more?
Theresa and Kathleen, there's no way to know what kind of stress the meconium indicates. Bosco could have been past term, or just in the birth canal too long.
Goodwife, the names of all the colors and patterns possible in our colorful little breed of sheep are truly mind-boggling! I'm pretty solid on the colors and patterns (look here for colors: http://www.shetlandsheepinfo.com/FLEECE/colours.htm), but I have to look up the names of the various spotting patterns myself. (see here: http://www.shetlandsheepinfo.com/FLEECE/markings.htm).
Congrats Michelle! I'm so glad he was out and in the big world when you came back---I always dread that rush to the house 'for supplies' if something looks fishy, and am often happily surprised on the return to find the lamb already born. Drats on the color/lack of indicators as to who the dad is. At least he is a ram, so unless he was truly something spectacular (like totally polled or something), then you won't have to do paternity testing. My bet is on Braveheart though, since he broke in with her.
Take care
Tammy
Thanks, Tammy. Bosco doesn't look as spectacular as Blake, so I'm thinking the same thing. Now I'm keeping my eye on Inky, who looks like she is going to force cramped quarters on the other mothers and lambs! A pretty spotted ewe lamb, please!
Wait a minute....if I remember right "Bosco" was brown syrup that we mixed with milk to make it CHOCOLATE! Sorry....had to be the wise-guy. I happen to think that Bosco isn't so bad....I like those horn buds....I'm one of "those"....I love the horned rams! :-) Congrats, Michelle! One more down....how many more to go?
Donna, Inky is due anytime now, and then I have to wait until the end of May for Katie.
I've never heard of that kind of "Bosco," but it kind of works. That white coat is covering a black or brown sheep, depending on his sire. It just didn't "mix" to create chocolate!
Congratulations. Not what you really wanted but precious never the less. And what a large guy! Those white lambs are super cute.
Thanks! I'm going to check this out! :) Have wonderful Easter!
Aw, he's a cutie. Too bad about the horn buds though. Good luck with Inky!
I grew up with Bosco! Haven't thought of it in years (I don't eat chocolate any more).
http://www.boscoworld.com/
Looks like it's not in Oregon.
Michelle, is it bad that he has horns? I was looking at the Shetland website and the rams there had big curly ones.
Adrienne and others, now that I've been educated about Bosco-the-product, I may need to change that white lamb's name!
Adrienne, I am trying to breed for polled rams, so horns are not what I want. Other Shetland breeders love them. That's the nice thing about Shetlands; there's something for nearly everyone!
Interesting outcome!!! Hopefully Inky has some colorful girls for you. The contrasting colors will make taking lamb pictures very fun :)
Shame about the horn buds, but I try to be thankful when both dame and lamb are healthy. He's cute, I love white lambs.
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