lamb races have begun

Yes, we have achieved lamb races. It's a time when I pass the window and laugh. There is nothing as cute as a bunch of day's old lambs kicking up their heels. Yesterday I let Donna and her two boys out in the morning. In about an hour, I found Donna and the lambs hiding in the barn. The little cry-baby had totally forgotten who his mother was, and was running round and round baaing. I didn't have much hope for that outcome. I locked the three-some into a jug for the next 6 hours. Then let them out again. Minutes later they were off!
The two new lambs led the race from one end of the pasture to the barn and then up on the three foot round hay bale. Kicking as only new lambs can, all four hoofs in the air....my bottle baby turned and twisted in the air jumping from the hay bale with the others. Oh My!!!!
They will break a leg for sure. I had to roll the bale outside in the rain to allow a full fence panel against the remaining bales. I have lost many new borns in-between hay bales. They stumble forward, but can't turn or back out. I have two lambs waiting in a pen for their turn outside today. Then on to last group....maybe thay can all get outside.
I believe lambing at Meadowwoods started and ended with the rains. Last count, 7 rams.....five ewes.....all live!
Hurray.....last year we had twins.....the year before, perhaps 4....I guess it takes a half dozen lambs to make a good lamb race. Looking forward to them....but maybe I should move that hay bale?
I heard some nutty globalists were offended by chants of USA USA....so....
USA USA USA.....
I'm happy to add my voice......USA...USA...USA !!!!!

It's May Already?

Good grief, where did April go?
Anyway, I am here to report, that, although I don't breed any more....No one told me I couldn't have rams. Rams don't know they aren't supposed to breed my girls. When fences wash out they believe they are helping me by taking care of my girls. Maeve....my wonderful, borrowed, 15 year old ewe...our-ran my year-old horny ram. Good for Maeve!
We have been lambing in the rains.....lots of rains.....for over a week now. Yes, it is flooding, but thank God we didn't blow away. Pray for all those families that did.
While I am here....in the present. Congratulations to our wonderful Navy Seals, and all our military, and those who helped.
USA USA USA
Now, for the other good news....the lambs today are all still alive.
Wow....that's almost a record for me.
For my friend in Alaska.....Have a musket yuglet flecket ram.....drinks from a bottle. A week old.
Write. On the third computer for the month.
We have now on the ground....when they can get out of the barn....9 lambs. My husband informed me, we could double my flock with three more lambs....ARGH!!!!!
Boys are leading in the count, 5 to 4.....go ewes!
I know of one more ewe to go......not sure about anyone else. Hope that's it?
I did have one problem birth. Donna, one of my first ewes, now 11, carried twins in floppy saddle bags. She broke the first bag in the evening....and spent the next three hours walking around and pushing....I went to be at 1. Checked her several times. Old ewes know how to lamb. I figured she had a lamb in the wrong position. Got up and fed and watered her with lots of energy food.
Then I checked to see if she was open enough for birth. Yup....cut my nails and washed. Now to check what is the problem, Donna was now on the floor in the "closet" she had chosen for birthing. She didn't appreciate my help. I found a foot.....no nose....what felt like a tail....and over on the side...teeth.
I came in and read the chapter on birth positions. I thought I had a butt with legs forward, and a head with one leg forward. I pushed the leg back in....decided I needed more room and tried to drag one big old ewe onto a hay bale outside the closet. I checked again....lots of pushing....I grabbed what I thought was a butt with a tail and tried to wriggle it back and forth while pulling.
Nothing.
I walked out to the front yard and enlisted my hubby for this holding job. Went back and found what appeared to be a big nose starting to come. After the nose stuck, I followed the re-appearing leg back to a shoulder. Now I pulled the one leg and wiggled the horns out. A little late Donna?
Go figure, the wet body wiggled. I cleaned the nose and mouth and rubbed the chest. Then handed the big boy to Donna, who was still stuck on half the hay bale. While she was licking, the second bag appeared, I broke the water when I saw the tongue. This boy came out and cried.
Over the years I have lost a lot of lambs to brain injury....Oxygen deprivation during birth. One of the reasons I try to be present. After a few hours sucking and crying the lamb started to be quiet. I still don't know how he will be, but this morning he was still alive. Usually they aren't.
I'm really happy Donna had at least one live lamb. Maybe she will have two. The last time she lambed, she lost one of her twins to the big cat.
I am thinking, after the lambs came out, that the second lamb head was right up in the birth canal. And the first lamb's head was turned to the side and slightly back. Yes, the second one has teeth. My 9 year old, Velvet, had one of each this morning. Took an hour. They both appear to be up and eating.
that's 9.....I don't breed anymore.
That's all the news from the flooded valleys of Missouri.
Mary...the bopeep