The 2 cade lambs (Igor and Isla) are getting older, bigger and are outgrowing the run. So their shelter has been moved out into the big field. And the two of them have been moved as well.
But im not convinced they are entirely happy with the new arrangements .
They manage to hang round in the corner of the field, hoping to be allowed back into the nice secluded shed, fed warmed milk regularly.
As the 2 cade (pronounced cadee - orphaned in Orcadian) lambs , Igor and Isla - we are on the I's this year - are getting bigger , its time to be let out .
The weather was a bit inclement this morning
But by mid afternoon the snow had gone so the 2 cade lambs had their time outside
And then they needed their evening bottle
And as the weather continues to improve they will be out again tomorrow
Ferdinand , the orphan lamb, has been moved out into the field. He has hisown bit, with a shelter if the weather is bad . And the bottle-feeding has stopped and he is now on a bucket. (Goats) milk gets added a couple of times a day and milk is taken 'ad lib'. He is also starting to graze on the grass.
The last ewe to lamb is due on the 13th, but things got going a could of days early.
We can recognise the signs of early labour , which happened in the early afternoon, but things changed and the typical behaviour - pawing the ground and separating herself off fromt he other sheep , didnt happen.
So come the evening we had to have a look.
it was an obstructed labour with the first lamb in an abnormal position whih needed some manual help to get it delivered
Eventually two lambs were born
.Some video a few minutes after birth
the mother didnt start immediaitly licking them dry , so we realised something was remiss.
We brought them inside as they were wet, it was wet and the mother 'wasnt right' and got them dried off
And the vet came and had a look atr the mother - and diagnosed a perforated uterus - an unsurvivable condition.
So some colostrum was taken from the ewe and then tube-fed to the lambs
And now we have our own cady (orphan) lamb - so its back to bottle feeding every 4 hours or so until they are a bit bigger and can join the other lambs
So at about 2110 , one of the remaining 2 ewes went in to labour. Watching at a distance it all went well , albeit slowly with the second stage about 40 minutes ( usually 10 minutes or so ) .
An attentive mother did what she should and licked the lamb, which tried to stand
but the lamb would get head-butted away.
So the next step was to corral the mother and lamb, latch the lamb on ,so it could suck and feed and see of that changed things . So some successful latching and feeding
but given a chance the lamb was butted away. Sometimes the mother doesnt take to the lamb. This looks like on of those occasions.
So we have our second Caddie, on 4 hourly feeds at the moment. A bit loud and insistent , this one .
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