Phew what a day! The past 24 hours have been a bit of a rollercoaster. It began with a visit from the vet yesterday in response to Lilly’s lethargy and lack of appetite. She was treated with injections of calcium and a glucose drench. Then this morning, one of Poppy’s newly hatched chicks ended up out of the nest and, despite all my efforts, it died of hypothermia.
By late morning Lilly had gone into labour with triplets, one of which was stillborn and one that needed a dose of lamb kick-start and a bottle feed of lamb colostrum to get it moving. When it did finally get moving, it became apparent that it had a bit of a wobbly back leg which seemed to bend like he was a rock and roll singer. It has earned him the name Li’l Elvis!
These minor livestock dramas are, of course, part of the joys of smallholding, but too many agricultural adventures in one day would make even Tom and Barbara Good turn to the odd glass or two of the old pea-pod burgundy!
On a positive note, I am delighted that Lilly’s pregnancy is finally over and relieved too, as I suspect that it was the dead lamb that was making her ill. She is now tucked up in a stable with her babies, who are wrapped in pieces of red fleece which resemble little Superman capes. They have a warming lamp, a deep straw bed to keep them cosy, and tummies full of their mum’s milk.
The weather here continues to be bitterly cold and windy. By the time the light has faded, it gets harder for me to find the enthusiasm to go out and do my rounds in the dark. Today though, the prospect of cuddling tiny little lambies dressed as super heroes does make it really worthwhile!