A Lambing Journal - Day 24

We had two new sets of twins today.  A maiden border cheviot ewe had a nice set of twins overnight, and a second year ewe had twins late this afternoon.  The afternoon twins were a surprise!  When I returned to the ranch from picking up meat from our processor in Reno, I found ewe 715 laying down with an enormous head and set of front feet showing.  Paul and I caught her, and I was able to pull a very large ram lamb.  I left them together and went to pick up Lara at track practice.  When we returned, she'd had a second (and much smaller) lamb - everyone seems to be doing fine tonight!

One of the twins born yesterday didn't fare so well.  He was fine when we checked him this morning, but Paul noted that he was weak when he processed him this afternoon.  When I got back to the ranch late this afternoon, he was very weak and was limping on a front leg.  Sami and I think that he may have been trampled or rolled by another ewe.  I went back to check on him at about 9 p.m. tonight and sadly found him unresponsive.  He died as I was carrying him to the truck to bring home.  He was the first lamb we've lost since we started giving selenium and vitamin E.

We have a maximum of 16 ewes left to lamb.  Of these, I would guess that 2-3 are not bred.  Walking through them tonight, I would also guess that 2-3 of them will have lambs by morning.  We're getting close to being done!