Numbers

Twenty-four; thirty-seven; two; one...  I've been crunching some numbers now that we are almost through with lambing.  It's been a whirlwind event.  It is so good to know that there is an end in sight....  I will sleep again.

I actually began to draft a posting at the halfway mark.  I never got back to it.  And, I found a draft for "Calm" from before lambing that I did not publish.  It's a crazy time!


The Stats

2 rams put to 24 ewes:  Abe was put to Birch's daughters and Birch got the rest.  My neighbour warned me that I could have double trouble using two rams at the same time, that there would be a double tide of lambs born at the same time.  It wasn't too bad.

14 of 17 days:  The lambing period - thus far, without the 3 stragglers that remain - was 17 days long and lambs were born on 14 of those days.

21 ewes have produced 37 lambs for an average of 1.8 each:  Excellent outcome since one would like a 150% lamb crop and we have 176% - yes I rounded up to 1.8 each.

Multiples:

• 1 set of quadruplets
• 2 sets of triplets
• 18 sets of twins
• 9 singles

This is great as last year there were many more singles.  The high majority of the singles this year are large and long legged, looking for a hamburger at birth.  The twins are pretty evenly sized, as are the multiples.  There is one set of twins for which there is concern that the younger one is much smaller.  I'm keeping an eye on him and keeping them in longer before they meet up with the entire flock.

8 lambs receiving supplemental bottle:  No "bottle babies" or "orphans", just supplemental bottles.  Each receives about 8 ounces three times a day.  They have mothers that feed them and mother them and teach them how to be sheep.  The supplemental bottle is to ensure they get a good kick start in life.  Still, I am popular and as they get older they get better at mobbing me.

A re-purposed bag for toting baby bottles to the barn.

I am supplementing all four quads.  Three assault me when I walk in the door of the pen.  The fourth, Floppy, needs to be caught and once perched on my lap gobbles down her share.  All four are looking pudgy and more like piglets.  Floppy keeps up with the rest, whereas there were concerns for her at birth.  She is pretty laid back and very happy.

I have been offering a bottle to Spot's largest triplet.  He needs to be caught and sometimes he'll take a few ounces and sometimes not.

MayBell has only half an udder that is working.  Her female comes running for a bottle now.  The male will sometimes take some and does best if held.

Olive's male triplet often gets left out and he now runs to me for his bottle.  His belly is rounded so he is getting enough.

Oh, and one more interesting stat:  one black and white set of twins, care of Lucy!

Lucy birthed them in the field on a nice sunny day.  Thankfully it was not too cold.  The startling white female was followed by the more startling black male.  What better way to carry them in from the field than in a milk crate.  Here I'm having a rest - me, not her - and hubby has met us with the camera.

The black male is a bit smaller and less active so I watched him closely to ensure he was managing.

Thank you EA for this lovely photo!  Blackie has turned out to be more like an appaloosa.  As the two became stronger it was time to put them in a mixing pen with another ewe.  I try to match the ewes, and put singles with singles and twins with twins - when possible.  It depends how fast I need which pens.  And numerous days all my pens were full.

At first I put Lucy and twins with Bella and twins.  On the second day when hubby commented that the little guy is always in the corner, a change was necessary.  I put Lucy back into a lambing pen for a few more days.  Then I put Lucy in with a younger ewe and her single.  This has worked well.  What we observed is that the sheep are racist and bashed the black lamb!

At this point Lucy and twins are in a mixing pen with two other ewes and their lambs and has access to outside.  They are ready now to go out to the flock.  The Appy guy is stronger and quicker in getting out of the way.  He bounces and plays with everyone, so he should be just fine now.  The lambs do not display the same racist behaviours as their mothers.