The Boy's market lamb from 4-H last year was purchased by a local business man who turneed around and gave her back as a gift. :) Dilly Bar is a beautiful purebred Hampshire lamb (she was very chilled when she was born - we had to warm her up a bit, hence the name). Well, today Dilly gave us her first lamb!
The Boy went out to do chores at 4:15 and Dilly's lamb was on the ground, just born. Bob the Dog was keeping watch and drying off the lamb, so The Boy got a towel and helped finish the drying as Dilly wasn't particularly interested in the task herself - the Hamp babies aren't born with as much wool as the Icelandics and it's important to get them dried off quickly so they don't chill. As The Boy could see the weather starting to turn, he took the lamb into the barn and got a forkful of hay which prompted Dilly to follow him in. The lamb was up and nursing well when we got home and went out to visit, so he's off to a good start!
So, The Boy now has a lovely large single ram lamb that he wants to call Blizzard in keeping with the weather and the Dairy Queen theme! A nasty snowstorm started just after this little one arrived, but the new arrival and his mama are tucked into the barn and are nice and warm.
Now, Blizzard doesn't quite fit our naming convention of an 'e' year, so his full name will have to be something like ... hmm ... Evening Blizzard, just to be correct. And, the storm DID start in the evening. :)
In all the blowing snow, The Boy has gone out to check everyone ... nobody else appears to be in labour at the moment, thankfully. Dilly does seem to be a bit skittish about the baby as first time sheep mamas often are, but with some time in the barn stall they should get used to one another. The Boy is taking her some beet pulp pellets which will hopefully distract her and calm her enough that she won't fuss about the baby quite so much. We'll keep a close eye on them for a day or two and see how things go - if she decides not to let the baby nurse, it can become a serious problem in a big hurry if we aren't paying attention.
The Boy is an excellent shepherd, though, and he knows his animals. He'll take good care of these two. :)
Nothing like the news of a new baby to bring a smile to my face!
ReplyDeleteLove, AC
Oh yay! Those new lambs are very lucky to have The Boy as their shepherd - he does a fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteStill need an 'E' to go with Blizzard? How about Eastern, or Eclair, Elderberry, Eskimo Pie, Espresso, Extra-Chocolate...
Mmmmmm...now I need a trip to Dairy Queen!
d. :)
I am so impressed. I wish I had a boy on our farm. Quick thinker. A true shepherd.
ReplyDeleteAhh yes, Espresso Blizzard! That's it!
ReplyDeletePerfect. :D
And yes, Wind 'n' Wooly, we are very lucky to have such a Boy as ours ... he is an excellent shepherd, very observant. He can handle all the routine new lamb tasks (docking, tagging, navel dips) on his own if he has to (although they're all easier with two people), he's quite the kid!