Ladies In Waiting | Foxfire Fiber & Designs

If you're wondering what I've been up to the past few days, it
hasn't been delivering lambs. The mysterious lack of action in the
birthing barn has me double checking the calendar. We're well within
the window, but the lamb count remains zippo.

What I do have is a barn full of restless ewes.

I'm keeping close watch on developments. Several of the ewes are really bagging up. If I were to bet on who'll go first, I'd say its Thalia, whose udder is the size of a bowling ball. Poor girl is having trouble walking. Ordinarily mellow, she was downright testy this morning, stamping her hoof at me when I came over to say hello. She's practicing defense for when her lambs arrive.

Here's the posterior view at breakfast feeder. See what I mean?

While not all are as fully endowed as Thalia (yet), they are all as big as houses. I've cut back on hay and increased grain this week simply because they have no internal space and the nutritional demands are way up there. They can get roughly the same or more protein from a small amount of grain without stuffing themselves and becoming so uncomfortable.

I can hear them straining and moaning at night via the baby monitor. None of us is sleeping well. At 2 am a pack of coyotes put everyone on alert. I know they live in the dell below the barn, I've seen their scat just outside the fence. Let's hope they respect the llama and the fences.

Two new lambcams make it easier for me to keep my eye on everyone, especially at night. With their installation last Friday, I now have two great views of the "exciting" birthing barn action without leaving my bedroom.

A group of knitters and spinners paid me a visit on Sunday, a perfectly fine way to pass a rainy afternoon. Everyone wanted to watch sheep tv in the bedroom.

For now it's simply watch and wait. With the waxing moon, I'll be
shocked if we don't get slammed any time now, so I guess I better get
rested (and take my vitamins, as my friend Jo reminds me!).