Difficult Birth To End Lambing Season

Wow what an experience.

This was not only my first year as a new farmer but I experience what lambing is about jumping in the deep end with both feet. I have never farmed no even lambed a ewe, but the experience I have had is an amazing one. I have learnt so much and had so much help from fellow farmers. Instagram and TV farming programme have helped me in so many ways. The farming community on Instagram have been amazing and I applaud everyone that’s taken the time to advise and answer even the silliest of questions.

Next year I will certainly put on a teaser tup auto help shorten the lambing period. From start ti finish its taken me 45 days to lamb. I’ve lambed on 39 but had 68 lambs yielding 174%, although I did loose 4 lambs after birth. I have to say I was very lucky most of the births were relatively simple, until the last Ryeland that was in trouble.

I arrived probably with only a few minutes to spare, the ewe had clearly been struggling. The lambs head was only being presented and her tongue was swollen which meant it was either dead or nearing death. Like I said earlier I have never lambed so adrenaline kicked in and all the advise was spinning around my head. I quickly pushed the head back in, grabbed one leg but wasn’t able to grab both, so I pulled and quickly got the lamb out. Mum was weak and the lamb wasn’t breathing. It was time to use as many methods I’d seen being done. After a few minutes I had life. I can’t tell you how much I felt with satisfaction and self reward. I had lambed my first difficult lamb and they’d both survived. I think any later and the ewe and lamb possibly could have died.

I’m happy to say both mum and lamb are healthy and happy.

Lambing my have finished but it’s time now to start on the welfare of the lambs and ewes for spring and summer. Especially making sure I’m not affected by fly strike.

Posted: May 3, 2022