Today Limpy gave birth to four, count them, FOUR lambs! Two males and two females. WOW! This is a first at Bear Valley Farm. And while we are thrilled to have four healthy lambs, this now presents a problem. You see, Limpy has an injured udder from the previous year. Only one "teat" is functional, which will barely supply enough milk for two lambs. There is no way that Limpy will be able to adequately supply all of her four babies. And as much as a good mother that she is, you could tell that she was overwhelmed with this many offspring. Our vet came by to see if there was any possibility to restore the bad udder; unfortunately it is forever closed up. So, we made the decision to pull the two females and leave Limpy with her two boys, Bobo & BooBoo. Rams tend to be more aggressive and hearty at this early age, so they will be able to compete well for the single drinking fountain available to them. Here's the only pic we have of all four lambs together:
We brought the two females by car to our heated garage where they will have their own pen. As you can see, they're still a little messy from the birth. But it is best to separate them right away before Mama can bond with them. If we wait, she will feel the loss of her two lambs and it will be traumatic for her---and that's the last thing we want for our Limpy.
Say hello to our two orphans, Annie & Oakley. We will be raising these darling lambs ourselves, making sure they get all the milk and love they need. They will be fed every four hours for the first week, which is not big deal for us --- bottle feeding baby lambs is a hoot. And it's fun to be their mama. They will bond to us like glue.
It is also a blessing that there are two in the orphan pen. Each lamb will have a companion and from what we've seen already, Annie and Oakley are becoming the best of friends.
Meanwhile, back in the barn, Bobo & BooBoo are getting along pretty well. We've watched both of them nurse and, for the moment, they seem to be getting enough milk. Mama hasn't hollered for her missing lambs even once. We will keep a sharp eye on the two brothers in the next few days. It is possible we'll have to supplement their feeding if they do not gain enough weight. Last year, Limpy's babies (Moo & Bloo) needed a helping hand from us. Time will tell if Bobo and BooBoo will follow in their footsteps.
Bobo the Lamb
Bobo's brother, BooBoo