This afternoon I dashed down to turn out the ewes just before leaving for a vet appointment with Poppy (vaccinations). I peeked in as I reached the gate and saw – a LAMB?!? How did THAT happen so fast? I've been keeping an eye on Vienna and signs of imminent lambing just weren't there! I snapped a couple fast photos, scooped up the little ewe, let Blaise out of the lambing jug (where she could recover without getting picked on), led Vienna in by carrying her lamb in front of her, let the rest of the ewes out on pasture, and took off, hoping that if there was another one she could manage by herself.
I was gone longer than expected (or desired, given the circumstances), but some dear senior friends were having trouble and needed some errands run. Thankfully Brian got home in the meantime; he made sure the lamb latched on, and reported that there were no more lambs and the afterbirth had passed.
On the drive home I mulled over names. I didn't want to go with my musical theme for a 'lonely only;' I'll save that for a bigger lamb crop. Vienna usually has twins but is ten years old now, so this is likely her last lamb. So I decided it fitting that my ewe named after the capital and largest city in Austria should have a daughter named after the capital and largest city in German.
Meet Berlin!
She is brown, which tells me that daddy Spot carries a gene for brown as well as the black he exhibits. Berlin's head spotting looks like what you typically see on a lamb with the Agouti, or fading, gene, but neither parent carries that gene so she is a moorit (brown) with minimal spotting.
I'm still feeling some dismay over breeding three ewes and ending up with one lamb, but you have to take what comes and look for the blessings in it. And "Blessing" was a name I considered!
That's it for now from . . .
11 comments:
She's beautiful :-). Those eyes!
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE CREATURE!! I sure hope you decide to keep her. She is so darn cute!!
One sad birth, one easy, happy birth. As you say, you can't always count on or get what you may want or wish, but I'm so happy to see that Vienna had an apparently easy birth that gave you a little female lambie. Welcome, Berlin!
She's lovely!
and a blessing....enjoy this little bundle!
Michelle, I'm sorry there weren't two little lambs, but happy and thankful that at least you have one healthy little girl! She is SO beautiful!! I'm looking forward to more pictures as she grows up. The spots on her head are really striking. Berlin is an interesting name. Will she have a middle name, as well?
Thanks for the pictures!
They are rather red at the moment, Sara!
I imagine I will, Elaine, to replace her mother in the breeding flock. Plus, she should be very friendly, getting all the attention like she will; bonus!
Mama Pea, for an older ewe who's had three sets of twins, one little lamb probably WAS a breeze to birth!
Oh, I WILL enjoy her, Debbie!
No middle name, Jeanne, but all the sheep born here have a name that starts with 'Boulderneigh.' So she will be registered as Boulderneigh Berlin.
Oh Berlin is quite a peach! Love her!
So adorable and hopefully making up for the one that you lost.
Trying again. Blogger ate my last comment. Berlin is adorable - so photogenic! You are so right about having to take what you get. And there's no way to predict! Keeps things interesting. I'm glad this little lass is healthy.
She is a beauty! She is a blessing, indeed!
She's so darling :-)
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