Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Results...

of whirlwind lambing at our place. It was an eventful 27 hours at Hidaway Farms. We actually finished lambing...we thought we would be going until the 23rd of April. What a crazy year!!

It all started Saturday evening when we figured that Sprinkles was in labor. Katie and I did a barn check at 11:30 pm just as Sprinkles was beginning to really push. She delivered our 2nd set of twins. Above you see the little cuties. Introducing Hidaway Farms Dew, a black ewe lamb with little white hairs on top of her head, and Blizzard, a smirslet flecket ram lamb that will be grey. His fleece is very crimpy just like his sire, Cory. They are both very laid back as you can see.

On Sunday morning when feeding new moms hay, we noticed that Abby seemed to be in labor. So off to church we went and when we returned there was this little handsome fellow that you see above. After his birth, Abby began having the twin to this ram but things didn't look normal. Once we got her in the barn she delivered a stillborn ram completely in his sack. He didn't look normal and probably died several days before. So...Abby has a wild child and his name is Hidaway Farms Avalanche. His sire is Tundra. He jumps and flops and kicks and is the craziest lamb we have ever seen. He is a black and white yuglet (maybe smirslet?) sokket. This evening was his first time out of the lambing pen.

At feeding time Sunday evening, Amelia was acting strange and didn't eat her share of grain. Yes, it looked like she was beginning to labor. We thought she would be the last ewe to lamb around the 23rd. So much for that date! Around 9:45 pm we checked her to find that she was ready to deliver. With a little help she delivered a strapping moorit lad. Boy, did she like him!! Introducing Hidaway Farms Wind sired by Tundra. We have some great mothers!!
The barn was full with 4 lambing pens. No more room...Shania was due on Tuesday...so we were safe...ha! ha! After settling everyone in...about 11:15...I look at Shania who had eaten supper, had been content chewing her cud...all of a sudden...standing up, tail up, smelling the ground where she lay. Looked pretty suspicious!!

Attempted to sleep...Rothey went to check on her at 2:00 am as my Easter vacation was coming to a close and I had to teach Monday. He called...yep...looks like she needs a little help to deliver this very large black and white yuglet sokket ram lamb. Introducing Hidaway Farms Jack Frost sired by Tundra. His horns were already raised at birth! He's a sweetie!
27 hours...4 ewes lambed...4 rams and one ewe!
Total count...8 ewes bred...10 lambs...6 rams...4 ewes...first time ever having 5 singles!!
It won't be hard to decide which ewe lambs to sell...none of them!
Now we are enjoying them as they make friends and play. There is nothing like bouncing baby lambs.
Whew!! It's over and we have almost caught up on our sleep...or is it over?...Tundra broke out into the nonbreeders pasture...could there be June lambs?? We will have to wait and see!



3 comments:

Kara said...

Beautiful lambs...congrats! I wish you were closer...those black and white rams are very handsome.

Hidaway Farms Shetlands said...

Thank you, Kara. I too wish we lived closer!! We then could share rams!
Christine

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm definaly interested in one of those hst ram lmabs... Just drop me a line and let me know! I'm located in va., so pick up is no problem. I'm on the yahoo shetlands list- ice_armygirl@yahoo.com. Just drop me a line, and let me know what's available and pricing. Thanks! ALice