I could have used Donald Trump's tiny hands today... It has been a LONG time since I have had to pull lambs.
It started last Saturday night when one of my very pregnant ewes did not eat. One thing Lincoln sheep never lack is an appetite, so I figured she was getting ready to go into labor. It's common for pregnant ewes to not eat when they are getting ready to birth. So I went out to the barn every few hours that night to check on her. Nothing happening.
Then, during the course of the past week, the ewe (we call her Mia) progressively got weaker. Sometimes she would eat a little or at least nibble on a little hay, but she showed no signs of labor. And kept getting weaker.
This is a condition called ketosis. You can read about it here:
https://www.sweetlix.com/research-artic ... n-the-ewe/. All you can do is pump the ewe full of sugars. I use about 30 cc's of Karo Syrup twice a day. But as is typically the case, it didn't really help anything.
Thursday night, I finally decided to reach inside and dig around a little. She was only partially dilated. So I left her alone.
Finally, this morning her water broke. Mia was too weak to have them on her own, so I reached in again to assess the problem. I quickly found two feet, but the head wasn't where it should be. After feeling around a bit more, I figured out the problem. (See Figure 4 at
https://www.iamcountryside.com/sheep/la ... positions/.) The head was still 100% behind and below the cervix. I couldn't get my hand under the head to lift it up, and I couldn't get my hand firmly behind the head, either. In a situation like this, you just have to be super patient. But then something else starts to happen. The cervix start slowing or cutting off blood flow to your hand and fingers. The fingers aren't working properly. So you have to take your hand out so you get blood flow to the fingers again. But then your arm starts to get really cold, especially in 35 degree weather.
Then I went back in with my right hand and used my fingers to bring the head up. That's more difficult to do than it sounds. But eventually I got the head up, got my hand behind the head and gently pulled it through the cervix.
It was around this time when the lamb fought back against me, which was a relief. That lamb was alive. Which surprised the hell outta me.
From here it was clear sailing. Gently pull the head forward until the front feet are out. Use one hand to gently pull the feet (outside of the ewe), and use the other hand to keep pulling the head. And boom. Lamb is out. I put the lamb in front of Mia, and she immediately starts to clean it and make the usual mothering noises.
Mia was 100% cooperative throughout this process. It's still difficult enough when the ewe is cooperative. Doing it when a ewe is NOT cooperative is a two- to three-person job.
I was sure there was at least one more lamb in there, so I went back to the house, washed my amniotic fluid-covered/bloodied arm, and got warmed up.
I went back out 20 minutes later. The first lamb is pretty listless, chilled, and breathing very heavy. It hadn't yet even tried to get up.
I went back inside Mia, and the second lamb was in the canal and everything was in the right position. I had it out in about 10 seconds. I put her in front of Mia and partially on top of the first lamb (also a girl) to help it warm up. Mia is now cleaning both of them. I reached in again and immediately felt afterbirth, so Mia SHOULD be done for the day. Twin girls. The first one is white with a black front leg. LOL! The second was black.
Since then, both lambs have nursed, but the first lamb is a little worrisome. That breathing is weird, but she had a very rough trip. I'm hoping with a full belly, she'll get some rest, get the breathing in order, and then be a normal lamb.
If Mia can get through the next 24 hours without a complete uterine prolapse (can happen with difficult births) and if the first lamb perks up a little, we should be in the clear. Fingers crossed.
But the whole thing would have been much easier if I had Donald Trump's tiny hands.