Down Mulberry Lane

SHEEP!

I asked the girls to stick around all day so that they could help do barn checks and help with the lambing.  Nobody really does anything.  Tonight I finally let them leave to go bowling with friends and I ask my daughter to quick check before she leaves.  She yells in the door... one just had twins (they had checked an hour before and no one was doing anything!).  I sigh and say, OK, I'll get them. 

Since she was doing fine, I gave her 15 minutes to clean up the lambs so that when I went out, I could handle more "dry" lambs.  I bundle up my 2yo and we head out to the barn.  I walk in and see a totally different lamb drop the third of her triplets on the ground.  It was fine, as were the other two who were already cleaned up.  I'm not sure how my daughter missed her, I can't imagine that she had three lambs in 15-20 minutes (it did take me a while to get the little one ready to go out).  

I check the others to be sure all are doing ok.  I don't see anyone else going, although two are very close.  I notice two that lambed this morning have not moved from their lambing spot.  That is totally typical, but that means they probably haven't eaten or drank anything.  So, I go round up hay for 4 new moms who have their "spot" claimed in the barn.  I then get water for the ones who haven't moved from their spot.  While getting them water, I notice the big tank is empty, so I fill that up as well. 

Now tell me, why did I tell my daughters it was OK to leave and go bowling?  LOL.  My little one freaks out over getting hay stuck to her mittens, so off they come, then she is cold, then she holds the flashlight for me, then she wants to come with (which is difficult, because I cannot carry her and lambs at the same time, yet the momma ewes do not like babies in the barn unattended, so I am walking slowly with lambs constantly talking to Paige telling her to hold mommies skirt and to stay close.  What a time I had. 

But it got done.  I hear my kids home, now, so I will go and have them do one more barn check! 

Warmly, ~Melissa

nu uhhh

1:39 PM, February 17, 2008 .. Posted by Kate

I told ya Sugar was gonna lamb cause she was callin to Peanuts lambs, but she didn't have any yet. Sugar is a quick mama, I told ya that. So I wasn't bein neglagent. :-p
~Kate