Sending wishes for a happy Easter & happy spring. Hand-crafted bunny by Elizabeth Radysh. copyright 2010. Barbara Parry. All rights reserved. Feel free to share a link to this website. Please do not take content or images from this website without my explicit written permission. Thank you.
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A very early start to my day. Verbena delivered healthy triplets just before dawn, a pair of rams and a ewe. They arrived hungry, talking and were quickly on their feet. Verbena is one of my all-stars, taking everything in stride. Thank you for your concern for Galveston. Her eyes looked brighter this morning and she picked at the hay I offered on my way out of the barn. I know I have a contest winner to announce a little later today, after I've had a little rest. Please check back in a bit. copyright 2010. Barbara Parry. All
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I'll start with the good news. Last night Comet delivered the adorable twins pictured above. "Euphemia"(left) and "Franklin" arrived after dinner. Their debut is special because they are the first offspring from our new moorit ram, Chai. And while I had been hoping for a brown lamb, I'm pleased with this healthy pair. The only wrinkle in their arrival was Comet's udder – almost no colostrum. So we borrowed from the ewes in neighboring pens until Comet's milk comes in. Holly (such a trooper) held hot compresses on Comet's udder for an hour last night, to help stimulate milk flow.
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Hitting some bumps today. Posting this from the tailgate of my Highlander with Galveston as we wait for Doc Majors to arrive at the clinic in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. This is not looking like her day.I will keep you posted on the outcome. Keep your fingers crossed for her. In the meantime I filmed the lambs this morning as they cavorted in the mixing pen with their mothers.
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I happened to have my camcorder handy yesterday for the arrival of Calypso's second lamb. She had dropped the first lamb by the time I got to the barn. The title of this post says it all. If you're squeamish about such things (or if you have little ones reading along with you), you might skip the video and come back tomorrow. It was a very calm birth with an experienced ewe. I stopped filming to help the lamb toward the end (didn't want him to inhale fluid) but then it resumes with the lambs in the pen with their
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Calypso surprised me with twins today – I wasn't expecting her to be next! Desdemona ("Desi" for short) and her brother Didot arrived late this afternoon. Lambs learn to do so many things quickly, it always amazes me how fast they learn to use their legs, to orient themselves, to find mom's udder, to suckle. No wonder they're completely exhausted, collapsed in a woolly heap. While the storm raged outside, all is cozy in the barn. I'm a little run down from being up at all hours, so I'm turning in early too. Wishing a good night to all.
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Dreariness! Rain and wind and no new lambs today. Actually, that's not so bad since we're all pretty bushed. Our bright moments were in the barn enjoying the six little ones who arrived over the weekend. Arial and Bodoni had the right idea, napping in the straw. "Bodo" has a cough. He's had a slight chest rattle since birth. After taking his temp (which was slightly elevated) and consulting with Andy and my vet, I gave him some antibiotics. Don't worry, we'll be watching him closely. Hopefully he'll rally by morning. Since it's a quiet day, I thought I'd take
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Kodiak's twins arrived just after breakfast. A really good sized ewe – 11 lbs. and a 10 lb. ram lamb. Their names are Cambria and Corbel (we'll move on the font names beginning with the letter "d" for the next set of lambs). We think Galveston may be next up to bat. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy some more shots from this morning's chores. Holly, showing Kodiak's lambs (in their Gumby-green sweaters) where we keep the milk. Charlemagne (Aberdeen's ram lamb), chillin' under the heat lamp. He is the spitting image of his dad, Teaberry. Bonding time:
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Busy day. More lambs to deliver before I could put away my delivery kit. Aberdeen birthed a pair of ram lambs mid afternoon. We're certainly off to a lively start! Aberdeen is one stompy little mother, defiantly stamping her hoof at anyone who gets close to her pen. She had to put up with me while I administered iodine to umbilical cords, stripped the waxy plugs from her teats to open up the plumbing. Then I weighed her boys (8 lb. 9 oz and 9 lbs. 10 oz.) using a hand-held fishing scale with a special lamb sling attached. Crackerjack
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Hooray! A quick post to share the news: our first lambs arrived at mid-day (right in the middle of a photo shoot for my book!). Tupelo, a three year old Cormo, delivered a ewe lamb followed by a ram lamb. Both sturdy, on their feet and nursing already. The picture above was taken on arrival. Below, the nosey aunties are inspecting the newcomers. Haven't had a moment to name them, but will let you know. More pics soon. copyright 2010. Barbara Parry. All rights reserved. Feel free to share a link to this site. Please do not take content
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