Lambing Season Starts

On Tuesday morning, Dandelion started showing signs that she would give birth soon.

But Tuesday night passed, and so did Wednesday morning. On Wednesday night, one of our vets, Dr. S., visited the farm to check on Dandelion and induce her.

But Thursday morning arrived, and there was no lamb. I called Dr. S. to ask for advice. She said that a C-section was the next step, cautioning me there was no guarantee that the lamb was still alive.

Friday morning, I took Dandelion to the veterinary clinic, where another vet, Dr. H., and his vet tech prepared the ewe for surgery. Then, the vet tech spread bath towels on the floor and stationed herself next to a box full of smaller hand towels.

The operation began, and almost before I knew it, Dr. H passed a wet bundle to the vet tech, who set it on a towel on the floor.

I held my breath, watching the lamb anxiously. Was it alive?

And then, there it was: the flick of an ear.

Yes! The vet tech immediately grabbed a towel from the box and rubbed the lamb vigorously. He coughed, and she patted both sides of his rib cage to help him breathe more easily. Every so often, she grabbed a new towel from the box.

The receptionists crowded into the doorway, cooing at the lamb and praising the ewe for a job well done. Thanks to the vet tech’s efforts, the lamb let out a mighty “Baaa!” I didn’t realize how anxious I’d been until I heard that sound and let my own breath out.

Once Dr. H. finished, I led Dandelion to her lamb. The ewe looked worn out, and Dr. H checked her udder, then guided the lamb to it. He drank deeply, tail wriggling fiercely.

The three of us stood around the pair. A reverential silence settled over us.

The lamb had made it.

Back in the home barn, the maternity ward was ready with fresh straw, hay, and water. I poured a corn, oat, and pellet mixture into the feeder for Dandelion, who gobbled it right down. As I stood by their pen, watching their new bond form, snow flew outside the lean-to.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

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This Week on the Farm

It snowed four or five inches on Friday. The Shetlands lay comfortably in the pasture, gathering a nice layer of snowy insulation on their backs:

The upcoming week will hopefully bring more lambs!

Farm Shop

Things are pretty quiet in our farm shop right now. We’ll soon have 4-H lambs and breeding sheep available, and we’ll offer more Shetland fleeces in our Etsy shop. Stay tuned!