Today was a farmers' market day, so Emma and I left a few minutes earlier than normal - we needed to check the ewes before the market. We found 2 new single lambs and 2 new sets of twins this morning - everyone was doing fine. After the market, we went back to Oak Hill Ranch to check on the ewes again. We had 2 additional single lambs and one more set of twins.
Ewe 319 (who Sami named "Ellie" several years ago) had one of the sets of twins today. She's twinned every year we've had her (this is her sixth lambing season). She had a nice ewe lamb today, but the twin ram lamb had a congenital birth defect. He was born with a front leg folded up and with deformed musculature in his hind quarters. Sami checked him out, and we decided that the most humane thing to do would be to euthanize him. This is part of my job that I hate - especially with the losses we've had this season. I found a spot that I thought was peaceful and pretty, I said a prayer, and I ended the lamb's life. It's not very macho, but I'm tearing up as I write this. It was the right thing to do, but it certainly wasn't the easy thing to do.
After I moved the ewes and lambs, I moved the new yearling ewes, as well as the group of yearlings and goats next door. Just another relaxing Saturday!
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