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A bit of an update on events down on the LambWatch HQ farm!
Posted 14th April 2014 by Dan 
12 comments
Just thought I would post a bit of an update on events down on the farm since the last time we posted!
Starting at the beginning, the mothering on process of the family we last featured in the barn has been a success. They both love each other and are happy in the fields now.
It got rather busy last week, with a "shutter" of lambing occurring in quick succession. We currently have 4 sheep left to lamb, and one sheep has been confirmed not-in-lamb by the vet.
Main things to report are that sadly Ranvir has taken a turn for the worse and has developed mastitis. It is likely that she may have lost the use of half of her bag. She has been treated with penicillin and her lambs are being bottle fed (with some difficulty as they aren't tame!) while she recovers. She is being kept in the barn where we can keep a close eye on her.
We currently have another mother who is rejecting her lambs and are hoping the "penny will drop" for her soon and she realises they are hers! These too are being bottle fed as the mother isn't letting them drink. She's been rejecting them for a few days now which is frustrating as we are hoping the penny will drop sooner rather than later (if it does at all!)
In other news, one of the other lambing sheep had a small prolapse which emerged every time she sat down, and then went back inside again when she stood up (must be a lof of pressure there!). To make things worse, she had also developed worms, making her "business" very runny and loose! Every time she sat down, she would.. well, you know... and it would go... well, you know. Unpleasant!!! Normally we wouldn't want to worm a sheep when carrying her lambs but we sought the advice of the vet, and she was given some worming medicine... Now her "business" is solid and much healthier! Still carrying lambs though...!
Elsewhere, the mother of a family of triplets started to look very vacant. We checked her out and she had absolutely no milk (can happen with triplets as sheep are only "designed" to have two lambs really). She was given the notorious horrible calcium injection between the skin and ribs to help boost her calcium as the symptoms she was showing and her situation all pointed to calcium deficiency.
And finally... Harry is still very very pregnant...!
A few more pictures have been added to the gallery too!
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Margaret 14th April 2014
Thank you for the update on the lambing. Wow, Harry definitely is huge.... she could have a whole herd inside her! 
So glad to hear the the 'mothering on' went well and I hope that the latest sheep gets to love her lambs soon; get well soon to the poorly sheep. I hope she is feeling better soon with the calcium injections. It just shows how attentive you are to your sheep to have noticed the one which had worms and the runny 'business'! Glad she is better now too!
Helen 14th April 2014
Thank you so much for the update, Lynda. You certainly have your hands full and lots of causes to be worried. How you run a nursery of bottle-fed lambs I can't imagine, but you certainly have your hands full. I agree with Margaret that Harry seems to be starting her own little flock! I hope that delivery is safe and successful, and the others as well, and that Ranvir makes a good recovery.
Margaret 14th April 2014
Thanks Helen, I knew herd wasn't right but 'flock' didn't come to my mind.. It's one of those days!
Lynda 14th April 2014
morning all... just to let you know that Ranvir has lost half of her " bag " now to the mastitis infection. She is eating a little this morning but Im afraid this will be her last year with us ..... so sad as she is a real pet and has done her job really well up to this lambing. Her two lambs are becoming tamer and will come for a bottle now and they are beginning to eat grass and sheep nuts.
Helen 14th April 2014
So sad about Ranvir. I guess it happens. I just remember her as a very protective mother of her two boys when I met her four years ago. I think they were her first.
maria 14th April 2014
Maybe Harry is going for the Guinness Book of Records.
Helen 14th April 2014
For all Ranvir's troubles, she is still in strong voice. I could hear her well today.
Margaret 15th April 2014
I am sorry to hear about Ranvir. When I first read the news I somehow missed seeing Ranvir's name and since reading the page again and Helen's comment, I was very sad to know that Ranvir won't be staying on the farm. She has such a beautiful face and is so good with her lambs. We will miss her.
Milly 15th April 2014
So sorry about Ranvir 
Catherine&Family 15th April 2014
Thank~U for update.
Dan 25th March 2015
Just testing!
Fi 28th March 2015
I am so sorry about Ranvir and the others who are no longer with us.
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