Lambing Finale

Last Wednesday things were not looking good when I got to the sheep field and saw that Lumina was in labor but there was no sign of a waterbag or lamb feet. She continued to push with no progress. I've seen this once before and I ended up having to pull out dead lambs... That experience, as traumatic as it was for both myself and the poor ewe involved (who recovered fine, quickly became one of my buddies again and had problem-free twins the next year), did give me knowledge of what to look for.. I also had some hands on experience so that I was not a complete mess.
I was going to spare you the gory details, but since it might help someone, I'll include them.. I'm giving you fair warning... if you're squeamish, you can skip to the end for the photos now!.... I had just been hand shearing some llamas the day before and I had developed a blister on my right hand, which then got torn off due to more irritation from the scissors' handle.. So I had this open wound on my right hand, and that didn't seem sanitary for either of us.. I ran in to the feed store and bought some OB sleeves, which in theory seems like a great idea, but I decided that with the lack of ability to know what I'm feeling at my fingertips, I would be better off using my left hand. The major mental obstacle I encountered the first time, was that I was convinced that my hand was not going to fit in there.. but I have fairly small hands, so I'm actually better candidate for this job than even my vet. I found what felt like a nose or a hoof but it seemed to be behind a wall.. Since I was not wearing a glove, I could feel with my fingertips to discover that this was the waterbag. I was able to break it open using my fingernails (which I also would have been unable to do wearing glove). I found one hoof and nose.. So I tried pulling the lamb with just one foot forward, as this has worked before. I soon discovered that this was not going to work, the lamb was stuck and I became concerned that I was pulling two different lambs.. I went back in and followed the lamb's leg up to it's shoulder and head and found that the nose and foot were from the same lamb. I found the other foot and pulled it forward. The lamb then came out easily. It's a musket yuglet flecket ram. Lumina was great throughout the whole ordeal and readily accepted him.. Due to the trauma, I gave her a shot of penicillin, vitamin B and calcium gluconate. Both mom and son are doing great and are now out on pasture. That's it for lambing in 2009!
Sire: Locksfield Montague (Monty) Dam: Locksfield Lumina

Evangeline's Lamb

Evangeline had a very uneventful birth a little before 1 AM, without my help.. She produced this gorgeous little girl that was hopping around and playing within an hour of being born. She is a yuglet sokket, maybe flecket... I'm not sure yet if she's black or grey.

Sire: Locksfield Joaquin ......... Dam: Locksfield Evangeline

Updated photo of Morgan's lambs:

This ewe runs to greet me and loves being picked up and held.

First lambs of 2009

Friday was an eventful day at Locksley Fields. Lambing for the year was halfway over within a matter of hours and at the end of the day, I, despite being covered in lambing goo, was not the least bit displeased with the results :-)

Pandora was the first show signs of impending labor. That morning she wouldn't come to the feeder for grain. I had resigned myself to the likelyhood that I would need to assist in most of the births this year. The ewes are all 3 year olds lambing for the first time.. plus they went into winter looking very well fed and came out of it looking equally so.. I decided to help when I saw that the lamb's little white feet and nose were sticking out, but so was his tongue. It's a good thing that Pandora and most of the others are friendly and more willing to allow me to get up close, because the last thing I want to do when I'm assisting a birth is to try to first catch a skittish laboring ewe.
I straightened the lamb's legs out, one at a time, so that the “elbows” weren't back with the shoulders.. This makes more space for a stuck lamb. He was a big guy, but eventually he made it out.

This is the most heavily spotted (most white) lamb I've had so far.. It's a moorit yuglet flecket ram. Sire: Locksfield Joaquin Dam: Locksfield Pandora

Within 2 hours of Pandora lambing, Morgance (aka Morgan), was in labor.. This lamb was exactly in exactly the same situation as Pandora's, and so I helped again. The result was a moorit yuglet flecket ewe! Morgan soon had two waterbags, which meant that another lamb was coming. When she started pushing, I discovered that the lamb's entire head was inside of the fluid-filled water bag.. I don't think I've ever had this before... I tore the bag open to free his head so that he wouldn't aspirate fluid and tried to wipe off his nose, all while just his head and feet were out. He was smaller than the other two and Morgan did fine the rest of the way. This lamb is a moorit smirslet ram. These lambs are from Locksfield Joaquin and Locksfield Morgance. They are friendly, especially the ewe.. She has a white side and a flashy side and looks just like Pandora's ram from the white side.

New chickens

In my search locally for Marans chickens, I came across some five week old Black Copper Marans chicks for sale.. Well, these are the current "it" variety because while the other colors of Marans lay dark eggs, the Black Copper ones lay the darkest brown eggs of all... I was also intrigued by the idea of the possibility of Blue Copper, since blue, being a dilute of black, can be paired with black.. I was guessing that since the seller mentioned only getting a few blues from this hatch, I thought they wouldn't be for sale, but he let me buy a pair of Blue Copper, as well as a pair of Black Copper, plus a little Splash Copper freebee (who was smaller than the others and harder to tell what gender it was).. At first I thought it was a pullet, but now I'm relatively sure its another rooster, which is just fine- he's very cool.. Splash is like a double blue genetically, so paired with black, the splash will throw all blue chicks. They are growing fast!

Well, before the week was over I had located a trio of Ameraucanas which included 2 gorgeous blue hens... they came with a rooster also, so now the chicken numbers are even- 4 hens, 4 roosters.. I think I either need more hens, or less roosters..... The rooster seems to have a very nice disposition.. I'll keep him for now because roosters are good guardians for hens and until the Marans get bigger, he's the only one here, but he'll probably be looking for new flock later on..

Here is the Ameraucana group still in their travel cage:

What's happening at Locksley Fields?

I have been neglecting the blog for some time, due to not having much "farm time" as I've been away and occupied with other things. I'm graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in May.. The most difficult by far has been the past 7 months, but the emergence of spring has made me optimistic that it's not that far away.. I have some grand farm-related plans for my post-graduation break.. Well actually a little before that.. Day old chicks will arrive in early May! This will be the second time I've raised chicks.. they were lots of fun last time, but ended up covering the garage in white chick dust and flying out of their pen while their building was under construction. They will now have their own little "barn." The order mostly consists of Ameraucanas ("Easter Eggers") and Cuckoo Marans.. The easter eggers have been a favorite of mine because of their green and blue eggs, good laying rate and attractiveness.. Plus they aren't that large.. I've wanted Marans for several years because they lay very dark brown eggs... Unfortunately it's going to be a long wait before these chicks (who won't even be born for another 2 months) will start laying, so in the meantime I'm looking for some older chickens.. Pictured is my last Ameraucana/Easter egger rooster and a couple of my favorite hens.

The best summer news is that in early June, LAMBS are due! It's been 2 years since I had planned lambs that I was able to raise friendly, so I'm excited.. The four ewes that are set to lamb are Pandora, Morgance, Evangeline and Lumina. Expecting lots of spots! Here they are when they were lambs:

Shearing is April 5th. I would normally shear in March, but with lambing so late, there was no need and I pushed the date back a little due to heavier class workloads in the weeks of late March.

Still 14 sheep on the farm... The rams, Dante and Joaquin, in the post below are still available. May be willing to trade for a nice ram with spot genetics. Hopper is still available too.. I think Kaya's lamb may be available instead of Kaya.. I was planning to keep her in place of her mom, but she's not as friendly.

Last, but never least.. I leave you with a photo of the handsome Mr Jamie...

Available Rams- update

Two proven rams still available! I have decided to sell a couple of ewes and have posted them below this entry. Some of them could be purchased as a pair (or trio) with one of these rams!

Locksfield Joaquin 4/15/2007

NASSA registration # S27915

Sire: Sheltrg Pines Jerome

Dam: Minwawe Hopper

Handsome moorit yuglet sokket ram. Proven- has lambs on the ground. Has great conformation and more single coated fleece. $350

Fletcher Dante

4/9/2003

NASSA registration # S18201

Sire: Fletcher Choctaw Dam: Fletcher Jazzy

Light Shaela (or emsket) blettet ram.. This guy is proven to throw modified colors and spots on his lambs. He is very double coated and has awesome horns. $350