This past week we had one very sick ewe and her lamb. It all started when her lamb was calling out in a way I'd never heard before. I called Craig and told him I thought something was wrong with the lamb, she wasn't nursing and the mother didn't seem to care about her "crying". So after running into Bellingham I made a stop at the feed store for some sheep milk. It comes in a powder and is even made by "Land O Lakes". I asked for a bottle, instead they gave me this little nipple and said all I needed to do was put it on a 20 oz water bottle. When the vet came he confirmed our concerns and said the ewe had mastitis and another infection that she had given to her lamb. He said we would need to continue bottle feeding the lamb every 4 hours.
Easy enough, in all the movies you always see this cute small child with great ease either feeding a small lamb or calf with this big ol' bottle and every one is happy.
So what really happens is the lamb has no idea why you are sticking this thing is their mouth, the lambs resists and you end up with this sticky, funny smelling milk all over you and the lamb. I finally got smart and got a towel that helped a bit for the lamb but not me. Poor Craig, at one point got a eye full of milk when the lamb jerked away and what was on her lips ended up in his eye. For me it was the next day I was in Bellingham and way scratching my ear only to have flaky white stuff come off...I'm sure it was dried lambs milk.
So much for the movies....nothing like it is in "Real Life".
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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3 comments:
Every four hours! Well at least there are enough kids and so to share the work with. I hope your lamb and momma get better soon!
Doug said his grandma use to bring the sick lambs into the house and keep them in the tub. I guess that made the clean up easier. :)
Every four is a TON for an animal that I would't love as much as a baby :( Funny, when I started reading, I was totally picturing you curled up in the hay nursing it back to health :) Funny stuff! You mean, it's not like a movie?
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