I was going to say pretty much the same thing ZZ! Thank you! I applaud you, Claire, for giving them the best care you can. We had so many stories here last year about badly neglected or abandoned large animals, espcially horses, that I stopped watching the local news for awhile; it just made me cry. :(
First lambs of 2010
BFL lambs should generally be 10-14 lbs at birth. These ewes consistently had babies that size in the past and are 5 and 6 years old, so should not be "slowing down" at this point. The woman who sold them to us was someone whose blog I followed regularly and whom I had met at fiber shows. She was forced to sell her flock due to issues with her son being sent to prison. She had to sell her farm too. It was a most unfortunate situation. We bought her whole flock of BFL - 9 of them including 2 rams who had numerous show wins between them. I really do think it must be feeding related to an extent, or maybe the stress of the move in early pregnancy?
All of the previous twins were 10-14 #'s? Or just the bigger of the two?
In any case, you fed them and gave them shelter. Accolades for that in hard times.
Were the lambs born on time, fully mature, or could they have been early? We used to breed horses and a mare foaling just three weeks early (out of 11 months) can drop a 40 lb foal instead of 80 - 100 lbs. A lot happens at the end.
We need an update Claire honey!
Miss Claire,
I am positive you have done the best you and Kelly could do.. You have always put animals first, and are a shining example of what it takes to be a dedicated animal owner.. We all have been in the position to buy what we felt was less than quality feed for our animals, but we need to remember it was Feed that we were buying and if they were free ranging, the quality would not be as good as what we consider poor. With spring coming, it will be better, Mother Nature will provide for us... as you have provided for them this winter....
So sorry for your lost. I do not raise sheep but I have read a lot and all I have read agrees with what everyone else have said. You did not cause the problem. If sheep can live on the poor feed in deserts the the food you gave them was more than good enough.
Ram lamb died last night - we do not know why. The largest ewe lamb is still with mom in the barn. The two indoors lambs are fine.
I'm so sorry for that happening Claire. It makes no sense to us for sure... but I believe Mother Nature knows best. I appreciate your updates, and your dedication. It's an inspiration.
Bummer. =o(
I think rather than feed it surely has to have had something to do with whatever led to their being sold and moved. To have two ewes with good track records drop very low birth weight lambs -seems strange. A mother will get scrawny looking and produce full or near full weight offspring. A nutritional deficiency should be more pronounced or long term before it has this effect. And you have not had them long enough to do that, I don't believe. If the ram, or the conditions they were in at the beginning of the pregnancy were in some way insufficient...then maybe. But a healthy ewe should be able to sustain healthy babies even if her feed is moderately insufficient. Or saying it the other way -I think it would take gross negligence of which you, dear, are incapable to produce those results during the time you have had them.
I agree 100% with grow.. you would have seen mamma and reacted.. just the mere fact that you have been concerned about the type of feeds they have been getting means you have been paying attention..
It has been well over a year and I am still dealing with the poor nutrition my angoras sustained pre-me... it shows from the tip of their horns to the bottom of their hooves.
Sometimes.. these things just happen.. and from the point that you have been there.. the last thing any farm needs is a special needs ram.. Mother Nature knows best.
Mend your broken heart.. dry your tears... there are a few more babys waiting for your care.
Love and hugs sent your way claire,
Fran
I wonder if rams have the same impact on birthweight as bulls... I believe I've read that in beef breeding, the bull used on the cow does have an impact on calf birthweight.
Might ask about that on the Farm Forum.
And I agree with the others.... I've seen some skin and bones mares drop healthy weight foals. But until just recently a twin foal wasn't considered viable... usually underweight and weak. They still take a lot of work and support to keep them alive, and I'm not sure it's a good thing for the overall health of the species to keep the weak twin alive. But that's in horses, not sheep. Still, if you read the accounts of the old sheepmen, weak twins and rejected lambs are not uncommon.
I heard an old sheepman say sheep were born looking for a way to die... he'd spent his whole life with them, I figure he oughta know.
This message was edited Mar 4, 2010 10:30 AM