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Instant Jellyfish posted:His one floppy ear is killing me. Good job I’m!
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Mar 9, 2022 17:12
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:14 |
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Good lamb, good ram, make sure you go up big and strong little fella, we can't wait to see your horns!
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Mar 9, 2022 18:28
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Good job, I'm! Congratulations, IJ! A strong and adorable start to the season.
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Mar 9, 2022 21:29
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And now a girl. Dianthus was due on Monday but she's a first-timer so I figured she'd have a single and bake it a little longer than she should. She was definitely in labor this morning after breakfast but by around 3 she still hadn't lambed out so I gave things a feel. She was fully dilated and I could feel the lamb in place but she just wasn't pushing and the amniotic membranes felt kind of thick. Gave her a dose of oxytocin and broke some of the membranes and finally we got to work. Lamb had one front leg back and a truly gigantic head so it took some effort to get her unstuck but we did it. I had to check like 3 times to be sure she wasn't a ram but nope, she's a ewe lamb. She considered not breathing for a while but I'm pretty persuasive when it comes to lambs being alive and she was up and going pretty soon. Her mom has an absolutely massive udder so she's probably going to remain giant for quite some time. She's a Logan baby from beyond the grave.
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Mar 9, 2022 23:59
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Delightful! 
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Mar 10, 2022 04:06
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Yesss excellent lambs so far, I hope i'm's thing is producing lambs with fun patterns.
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Mar 10, 2022 04:56
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Big blue boy from Pansy, sired by Souvenir. I'm glad at least one of his ewes liked him because the rest of them were real assholes to him and I didn't think he actually bred any. I told Pansy she could be done lambing if she just gave me a daughter but no such luck. Oh well, at least he's lilac. 
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Mar 10, 2022 23:45
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Yay! My favorite time of year. He's a pretty strapping lad.
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Mar 11, 2022 12:20
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Glory to Italia!
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Looks like a lovely one. What the hell did Souvenir do to piss off his girls?
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Mar 11, 2022 13:50
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aww
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Mar 11, 2022 14:01
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The new babies are adorable! Does lilac just mean his black will be a washed out grey/blue colour? I started watching a local sheep farmers youtube during covid after falling in love with your spotty babies over the years. She is due to start spring lambing in a few days as well so I can see all the babies.
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Mar 11, 2022 14:57
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my cat is norris posted:Looks like a lovely one. He was just young and inexperienced and I put him in a group of bossy britches cougars. Poor dude was totally overwhelmed! His brother got all the yearlings and they were much more accomodating. Kubricize posted:The new babies are adorable! Does lilac just mean his black will be a washed out grey/blue colour? I started watching a local sheep farmers youtube during covid after falling in love with your spotty babies over the years. She is due to start spring lambing in a few days as well so I can see all the babies. Yep! Jacobs come in black/white and lilac/white which is just a recessive dilute form of black. It can be anywhere from a slate blue/grey to a chocolate. We're not exactly sure what causes the variation in shades, probably some additional modifier. We keep offering money to folks to figure it out (I'm on the science and research committee of the breed club) for us but no one is that interested in sheep color genetics.
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Mar 11, 2022 15:55
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Instant Jellyfish posted:
I'm interested in sheep color genetics, but unfortunately my knowledge of genetics tips out at Mendle so no help there, sorry. Love those lambs though.
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Mar 13, 2022 03:00
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First day of lamb camp, my hands-on lambing education experience, and people got their $40 worth. Three ewes lambed at once and it was a real clusterfuck. Indigo went first with a big ram lamb, Mariposa was convinced it was her lamb and was too busy screaming trying to get back to it to deliver her own lambs so I pulled twin rams out of her, then Jubilee had a lilac ewe and promptly ran away. It took some work and at one point one of the twins was down to a temperature of 93 degrees but everyone has a full belly and a happy mama now. Indigo's boy, sired by Logan, who started this whole mess.  Mariposa's twins sired by I'm. Both 2 horned rams. The popsicle who I'm still not convinced has figured out nursing so I keep tube feeding him so he doesn't freeze again.  The sturdier twin  My little lilac! I'm so excited to finally have a lilac ewe born here  They got the real lambing experience of freezing your rear end off in a barn while covered in goop, desperately trying to convince a ewe that the baby you are trying to shove onto her teat is most definitely hers so shut up and nurse it. The more of a trash fire a lambing is when people are out the better feedback I get from participants.
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Mar 13, 2022 03:48
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I love this thread and seeing all the lambs. Is it common when they have twins to have trouble with one of them not bonding with the mom?
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Mar 13, 2022 04:43
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Lambs are just great 
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Mar 13, 2022 05:02
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Grundma posted:I love this thread and seeing all the lambs. Is it common when they have twins to have trouble with one of them not bonding with the mom? No, sometimes a ewe that's only ever had singles might have trouble counting to two but the lambs are usually pretty determined to nurse. I'm wondering if either the stressful birth or the hypothermia made him a little dumb. I'm almost positive he'll figure it out with a little time as long as I keep supporting him with tube feeding. He'd probably take a bottle but I've found once you start with a bottle they don't want to nurse so I avoid it as much as possible.
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Mar 13, 2022 05:10
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Well, that's not what I like to see. They were barely breathing and my thermometer just flashed LO. I told today's lamb camper that they weren't dead yet and I could probably get them back going but she was doubtful. Aster lambed at some point in the night and decided she wasn't feeling it this year. Just left them in a soggy heap on an 18F night then hosed off to eat some hay. I wouldn't have known they were there at all except I was checking to make sure Holly's new lamb was being taken care of properly and I heard a tiny, sad baa from the other pen. Got them in a warming box with a hairdryer going right away and in an hour or so they were up to temp and strong enough to be tube fed.  I moved them to my bathroom temporarily because it's super cold and windy out. Lambs with moms taking care of them really aren't bothered much by the cold but I wasn't going to risk having to warm these guys up a second time. They have had a bottle of colostrum and an injection of antibodies to try to protect them from their rough start but I think they're going to be fine. I'm hoping someone has a single today that I can persuade to take at least one of them.  Holly's lamb is doing well with his mama but since she's a first-timer and was pretty confused with just one I'm not going to try to foist another on her.  Oh, they're all boys of course because this year is a sausage party. 7 ewes left to go!
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Mar 13, 2022 19:31
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Got them in a warming box with a hairdryer going right away and in an hour or so they were up to temp and strong enough to be tube fed. Those lambs are lucky you were around. Adorable little ones as usual, I hope most of the drama is out of the way and the rest go smoothly. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Mar 14, 2022 |
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Mar 13, 2022 23:29
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The weaker of the twins was successfully fostered onto Daphne who had a single ewe and took to him right away. He’s doing great now! I’m still hoping someone else will have a single to foster his brother onto today but he’s doing well on bottles. Scout made sure they got plenty of tlc while they were inside and is going to miss them now that they’re moved into the barn. https://youtu.be/NP68qdqwCi8
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Mar 14, 2022 16:49
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Aster lambed at some point in the night and decided she wasn't feeling it this year. Just left them in a soggy heap on an 18F night then hosed off to eat some hay. Did Aster just disqualify herself from next year's breeding pool?
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Mar 14, 2022 17:18
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Haven't we all been there, honestly? She’s turning 10 this year so it was going to be her last lambing season anyway. She just chose to retire early.
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Mar 14, 2022 17:47
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mehitabel posted:archy she says to me
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Mar 14, 2022 18:24
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Instant Jellyfish posted:She’s turning 10 this year so it was going to be her last lambing season anyway. She just chose to retire early. "gently caress this poo poo, I'm out."
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Mar 14, 2022 19:13
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Scout is so sweet. Did you send smug pictures of success to the doubter from lamb camp? You should.
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Mar 14, 2022 19:33
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ILL Machina posted:Scout is so sweet. Did you send smug pictures of success to the doubter from lamb camp? You should. No need! Lambs had made a full turnaround before she left. She was thoroughly impressed. All my lamb campers got well acquainted with hypothermic lamb revival procedures and now it's back in the 50s so hopefully we're done with lambscicles.
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Mar 14, 2022 20:08
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How do ewes disqualify themselves? Bad genetics, health - behavior?
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Mar 15, 2022 13:27
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The biggest thing that gets an otherwise nice mature ewe a ticket to freezer camp is bad mothering. Rejecting lambs, stepping on lambs, not making enough milk, being overly aggressive towards other lambs, or being so overprotective that I can't even check the lamb (although that's more likely to get them sent to a more hands-off farm unless they're real dicks about it). Before that ewe lambs wouldn't be selected for breeding if they have poor conformation or horns that would cause an issue long term. I won't breed anything with horns pointing completely forward or need to be trimmed to keep them from growing into the head. I also wouldn't breed a ewe with bad legs or a bad topline that would keep her from having a long, pain-free life. My sheep regularly live into their teens completely sound and I would like to keep it that way! I'm a lot more picky about ram behavior than ewe behavior but I have sold ewes that I just found annoying for whatever reason. Too clingy, too flighty, challenges my electric fence, has an annoying sounding baa. Those aren't freezer traits but someone else can have them. Big Betty had ram/ewe twins this morning in the continuing effort of my sheep to make me have to bottle feed this lamb forever. Someone had better pop out a single today or they're all getting a stern lecture! Ewe  Ram, forgive the nose blur Betty refused to believe I wasn't there to serve breakfast 
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Mar 15, 2022 14:57
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Instant Jellyfish posted:has an annoying sounding baa.
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Mar 15, 2022 16:57
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Haven't we all been there? I had one that was just the worst. Sold her locally and she was returned to me, so I sold her to a home in an entirely different state and luckily she stayed there. Ugh, it was the most obnoxious baa ever. Someone finally had a single! Aphrodite had this huge single ram and now everyone cross their fingers that she falls for my trick and takes the twin too. She’s from some smart, canny old primitive lines and he’s a lot older so it’s not going to be as easy as it was with Daphne. Don’t mind the ties, she was suspicious of a “newborn” up and walking already so he had to be hobbled for a few minutes. He thinks titties are gross and wants a bottle so it's going to be an uphill battle but at least he can be bonded to them as his family.  
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Mar 15, 2022 17:07
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Oh man so many babies! Love to see so many healthy lambs, good job!
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Mar 16, 2022 00:18
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Roundup of lamb events since yesterday. Sassafras had, shock and surprise, a big single ram lamb.  Aphrodite is in the stocks for trying to toss her foster lamb. You think you hate that baby? You're going to hate me a lot more. He's getting smart about nursing where she can't see him so I think its going to work out, even if not as lovingly as Daphne's foster.  Pistachio had twin EWES!!! She cleaned and fed and loved them but now is thinking she only wants one. She's getting supervised visitation only. If she wants one lamb she has to take both of them, those are the rules.  Betty was just being cute.  Just waiting on Dulcet then Pennyroyal is due on the 29th. She was being a real bitch so she's in solitary until she chills the gently caress out.
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Mar 16, 2022 19:07
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Sorry you've had such a sausage year.
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Mar 16, 2022 19:26
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Betty had hypocalcemia but perked up immediately after treatment (a hallmark of hypocalcemia). All the dog breeding groups are constantly talking about giving calcium for any mothering issue so I'm giving all my questionable mothers a dose too and we'll see what that does. I had to switch hay sources halfway through pregnancy and I'm wondering if that threw something off? I rarely have this much lamb drama. Also, ear tags come in a pack of 20 so when I saw how many pregnant ewes I had I decided to go ahead and get 2 packs. I am on target to have exactly 20 lambs 😐
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Mar 17, 2022 00:04
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So many lambs 
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Mar 17, 2022 00:30
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Everyone is back on track to loving all their babies (or the babies that have been assigned to them). Daphne has always loved both babies because she’s a star, but her foster glued his butthole shut with poo which made him stop eating so they’re back in a little pen where I can watch him better for a while. Daphne's girl and the foster boy  Pistachio with her girls. The ole two for one special worked again and she seems to be happy to have both of them now. I'll be keeping a close eye on her today though in case have to go back to separating them from her again to keep her from rejecting one.  Aphrodite has at least one more day in the stocks but her resolve is crumbling rapidly. Her foster is pretty bonded to her and his foster brother now at least.  
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Mar 17, 2022 14:31
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I love baby lamb time, it's the best!
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Mar 17, 2022 17:10
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Hutla posted:I love baby lamb time, it's the best! It's also fascinating with all the things that have to be carefully done to ensure healthy lambs, I do think they're cute though
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Mar 17, 2022 20:49
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Someone I sold a sheep to last year messaged me today saying that the ewe I sold her had triplets on Saturday during the cold snap. One didn't make it, she rejected another and hurt it trying to chase it away, and now just wants the firstborn. She wanted to know if Kiwi had been a bad mother previously. I felt super bad about the lambs but Kiwi was a great mom last year or else I wouldn't have sold her as a breeding ewe. I was trying to figure out what possible deficiency or something could be causing my sheep in other flocks to be rejecting lambs when she clarified that Kiwi had her one lamb that she loves and then overnight there were two more born. Like hours later. Also, two other ewes lambed that same night. But she has decided these two other lambs were Kiwi's for some reason? My guess is she has been trying to get Kiwi to take some other ewe's lamb for the past 6 days and it's going poorly. Now I have to very kindly find a way to tell her to start pointing fingers at her other sheep because my Kiwi is a good girl and just didn't want to nurse some rando.
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Mar 17, 2022 23:55
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Instant Jellyfish posted:when she clarified that Kiwi had her one lamb that she loves and then overnight there were two more born. Like hours later. Uh.
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Mar 18, 2022 00:16
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