LAAAAAMBS!!! Again.This is Coco and her two fresh-from-the-womb baby boys. That one lying down had been born all of about 10 minutes when this photo was taken. And the one already looking for milk had obviously been born first. You can see that Coco was still in the licking clean stage here, where she licklicklicks the lamb clean and dry. Then it will struggle to its feet and stumble around a little, with a dazed "what just happened" look on its face, until it finds the teat and starts to nurse. From the time they're born from the time they start to nurse is maybe 20 minutes. If all goes well. Which it did. And thank God the sheep know what the hell they're doing, because I sure don't.
Anyway, these two are boys, so, you know, don't get attached. Two more lambs to go, though I think it may be a few days until the last two are born.
I am enjoying your pics SO much! Love Dumbo the lamb. Wonder how he'll taste...
ReplyDeleteSusan: No no no. Dumbo is a girl. We keep the girls. Girls are useful, because they'll produce more lambs. But more boys are extraneous because the position of Resident Ram has already been filled. So Dumbo stays. You can get attached to her.
ReplyDeleteToo cute (or two cute?). Thanks for posting these photos! I also think Dumbo is adorable.
ReplyDeleteMan, Blackrock has soooo many babies. I don't know how you stand all the cuteness. I'm used to the puppies. I can withstand puppy cuteness. But that itty, bitty lamb? How in the world do you keep from getting attached WHEN IT'S TIME TO SLAUGHTER?
ReplyDeleteYou know, just wondering?
I have to take issue with the whole Dumbo thing. MY name was Eunice, but A and K nixed that. So I call her Lively Lamb. That's good--. But she's definitely a little girl. Not to be overly gender-oriented or anything (though cross-gender stuff is not what one is after on even a mini-farm), but could we at least call little Lively Lamb "Dumba"? And if she grows up sensitive about her ears, you know who you have to blame!
ReplyDeleteKristin can you show us a pic of the size of a lamb when they... sniff... go to slaughter? I realize this is superfluous and dumb... but I just CAN'T eat cute or baby animals (lamb, veal, duck, rabbit, etc). But I think I'm thinking little white fuzzy wuzzys go to market... and am now wondering if they are bigger and ... less cute... than I assumed. And, how often do you have to midwife a sheep? Do most plop out when you're not watching or are you hands-on? I always knew if I wasn't a country midwife I'd be a country vet but I know shamefully little about it.
ReplyDeleteMiL - Oh, I like Eunice!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Wool? Aren't there any other vegetarians who read this?
ReplyDeleteEric, I think eating wool is not officially vegetarian, as it is still an animal by-product and all.
ReplyDelete:)
When my mother had goats we used to name the boys "Ed" - for "Edible"! It was our way of ... attaching without attaching?? Some of them were so cute too.... but there were some who would have great conformation and we could sell them for ResRams...er.... goats are Resident Bucks... elsewhere!
ReplyDelete