Last set of lambing pictures

Grey’s twin ewes, one of whom is not doing great today and may be our baker’s dozen bottle lamb.  And Dottie’s boy/girl twins, who are doing fabulously.

Clovis and Zuko II pictures

Zuko II

Clovis, rear view

Zuko II again

Clovis from the front.

Clovis again

Zuko II head on.

Clovis a little closer up.

Clovis from the side.

And another head-on of Clovis.

Zuko II again.

Zuko II head-on

 

Healing can be an ugly process

Sokka looks pretty torn up, but it’s all signs of healthy skin regrowth and wound closure.

It looks burnt because the medicinal sprays and healed scabs are flaking off.

Yes, I am looking at your flank.

Badgerface, his momma, is all blue on one side because he’s been rubbing up against her for comfort despite being weaned.

He gets in and scraps for hay and grazes out in the pasture now, he’s gaining weight.  Probably can’t expect any fleece, but he is likely to be in good shape by October if his healing continues to progress.  This is rapid recovery, normally it would be another week or even longer to see this level of improvement.

How the lamb fleeces for the rest of the flock are coming along.

Here’s some lamb pics from earlier this week.

Clockwise from center, Dottie, Grey, Azula, Clovis and Brunhilde. Ripley is on the edge of the frame.

Better shot of both Dottie and Brunhilde.

In this picture are Dottie, Badgerface, Black N Tan, Zuko II, Brunhilde, Clovis and Katara. Goldie’s head is just out of the frame.

This picture is here because Lisa is. Usually hard to get shots of her.

Better angle to see the ram lambs.

Azula and Sokka before we got him separated out. His fleece was recovering well enough to throw us off.

One of the few shots I could get of Ripley’s amazing frosted fleece. She is hiding behind her momma Grey as she often do.

Sokka and his sister Toph.

This one is here because it’s another view of Ripley. That coloration is combined with a fluffy softness.

One of the rare head on shots of Ripley. She is massive. If I wanted to take a chance on a one winter breeding, she’s definitely the one.

Secret raspberry garden

I am not a fan of the landscaping that came with this place, but some of it has unexpected summer joys attached.  Like this ever-bearing raspberry sport that survived and thrived in the shadow of the Himalayan menace that stalks our acreage.

 

Ever-bearing means it was domesticated.  It survived unlike the secret rhubarb from a couple years ago, which sadly got shaded out.  We failed it for the last time.  😦  But hey, RASPBERRIES THE BIRDS CAN’T FIND WOOOOOOOO.

Just lambing around

Lambing season is over, Black N Tan gave us boy/girl twins

The girl is dark blackish like Ripley (Grey’s girl) and the boy is paler, almost as light as Badgerface’s Toph.  Black N Tan lambed about 2:30pm, as we were heading out for an errand.  By the time we got back, both lambs were up and gamboling and she was passing the placenta.  It was easy, quick and that’s exactly what we want to see.

The girl is black and the boy is light brown. Black N Tan is a very devoted mother.

 

Our final tally for this lambing season stands at 7 live lambs, 8 births and 4/3 split on girls/boys.  It would have been 50/50 without the stillbirth.  Now we just sit back and watch them grow.

 

The new lambs Sokka (boy) and Toph (girl)

They are very leggy and fawn-colored and look more like small deer than lambs.  But Badgerface’s twins Scottie and Dottie were very leggy last year, so that seems to be her thing.

Sokka is the paler one on the right and Toph is the darker one right up against Badgerface.

Toph nursing, Sokka jumping in to get his share of the milks.

 

Live lamb pictures!

Grey did have a living lamb, also black moorit, walking around and hanging out as lambs do.  Best guess is that this lamb is also about 8-9lbs.  Grey is being a little nervy, so I am going out now every half hour to monitor.  The perils of pasture lambing.

This is probably a ram, couldn’t get close enough to see.

Goldie and her lambs came by to greet the new arrival.

EDITED 5pm: The survivor is a little 9lb ewe.  We call her Ripley.  She is nursing great and mom’s chilled out and is relaxed and grazing.

Postmortem pictures (WARNING DEAD LAMB PICTURES)

Just skip this post if seeing a dead lamb is upsetting.  These pictures are for our records.  The lamb was a ram lamb, black moorit, about 8lbs, so a hefty little guy.  Alas.