I was about to start to drive back from New Plymouth yesterday afternoon when a text arrived from nephew Mike, telling me that he'd seen a very weak ewe with two lambs on the track to the river here at Struan Farm, just past the pond. We got in touch with Farmer John, who usually prefers to intervene in this sort of situation rather than have the "B Team" on the job, however he was also otherwise occupied.
It was suggested that Karen check it out when she got home. And you know me, I'm not about to leave two little lambs at risk if I can help it, especially with an official authorisation. I ventured down with my newly cut hairdo and town clothes and scooped up two little lambs who were curled up next to their dying mum. I dropped them into the Pet Pen with Peaches and Fig, who weren't terribly excited by the new arrivals, and ran off to make up two bottles. So much for putting away the groceries. This is also why shoes and clothes I try to keep clean and tidy for town don't remain that way for long around the farm.
They aren't new new lambs, in fact are bigger than Peaches and Fig. They were quite hungry, and didn't seem bothered having to adjust to drinking from bottles rather than mum. They sucked down two 150 ml. bottles each before darkness. One is a ram, one is a ewe. The ram will go off to the Piopio family who adopted Rocky, they wanted a second lamb for another child for Piopio School's Calf Club Day, and I'd told them if another ram lamb landed they would get the call.
We're calling the ram either "Wilbur" or "Homer," I'll let his new "mum" decide between those, while the ewe lamb is called "Mamie." I'd recently read in an article that these old fashioned names were falling out of favour, but think they're rather good names for pet lambs. An old friend messaged me after seeing the article to say that her grandmother had been called "Mamie." So Tracy, here's to your grandmother!
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