Quite a bit to report from Struan Farm, much can happen here in 48 hours!
Two days ago hubby John came across a ewe trapped under a log at the end of the Old Road. She'd fallen and hadn't been able to get herself back up. She'd had twin ewe lambs days before that, who remained with her as she laid on her side.
John couldn't get her up by himself so enlisted Farmer John for a joint rescue operation. They managed to get the ewe up and her twins rounded up as well. The trio went off to Farmer John's farm for some medicine and re-hydration. At the time it was unclear whether or not the ewe would survive, although the two lambs seemed fine. The lambs were fine, but the ewe wasn't, she died. Farmer John brought the lambs back to me to be looked after, joining our ranks of pet lambs.
Meet Jam and Jelly:
Since these are lambs that have spent time with mum, they aren't easy to convert to drinking from bottles. It's a gradual process and we're still working on that. I've already bumped and bruised my forehead on a metal post chasing them around the Pet Pen, don't ask how that one happened. I will say the little darlings are pretty fast. Jelly, the smaller lamb, is quite nervous but will come to the edge of the pet pen and drink, provided no one moves too quickly. Jam, the other, won't. She has to be chased and grabbed. She will guzzle a bottle when sitting on your lap. Socialisation continues.
Unfortunately what this meant was nine pet lambs, above my (arbitrary) quota allocated by hubby John for current season. Anyone who is married will know that marriage is often about compromise. Unfortunately for me one of his sisters had told him she'd take some pet lambs if we didn't want them. I was told to decide which two would be "whanau-ed out."
We both knew that it was going to be at least one ram lamb, since they go either way after weaning. That meant either Whiskey or Ajax. I wasn't going to split up Ajax and Bubbles, the two surviving triplets. So it was going to be either Ajax and Bubbles or Whiskey and Fergie heading off to Auntie and Uncle. Breeding issues then entered into the equation (dare I call it racial profiling?). Whiskey and Fergie are from Farmer John's stock, so come from his stock bloodlines, while Ajax and Bubbles are not. I love those speckled faces, think they're nicer lambs, but the two Johns have different views for entirely different reasons. Some of it relates to shearing, where coloured wool has to be kept separate. Some of it relates to breeding issues. My motley crew is humoured, somewhat, because they know I love them.
And so Ajax and Bubbles went off yesterday in the "Lamb Mobile." John constructed a wee coop so they'd be cozy and safe for the drive, and I took them down to meet Auntie and Uncle after their morning bottles. They baa-ed in the back while I explained to them what was happening, but then fell asleep for most of the ride. Auntie and Uncle know how to look after lambs, and they also know they can be brought back to Struan Farm if need be.
As you might expect there was a wee tear shed in the car after my lambs went off. I thought back to that night when they laid on blankets shivering by the fire. I was admonished to harden up, but that's not going to happen, is it?
Our mob of pet lambs now consists of Bambi, Diva, Camilla, Whiskey, Fergie, Jam and Jelly. The names sometimes change but the stories will continue.
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