We are in the midst of a really powerful storm that is dumping rain, with lots of wind. We had 4.5 inches in the 24-hour period ending at 8 this morning, and it hasn’t stopped all day. Roads are closed with flooding in almost every direction from here. Yesterday we had the ewes out and the horses out in the morning, and as the storm kept building, we brought everyone in and battened down the hatches. Today the ewes are having a lazy day in the barn. We have had no lambs born since Sunday morning–the longest dry stretch I think we’ve ever had in the beginning of lambing. Maybe they are waiting until the storm has passed.
We took some time to re-position Peg’s splints today. She is getting stronger every day. We took her from her mother to bottle-raise, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She has made friends in our small group of 4 bottle-lambs, and yesterday was even running around the barn and frolicking with them. Today they are confined to a pen to keep them from bothering the pregnant ewes.
We have been noticing that the Romneys carry their lambs very differently from the East Friesians. The East Friesians carry theirs high and wide, in huge, wobbly “saddlebags,” while the Romneys carry theirs deep and low, looking like they have beach-balls in their bellies.
