What to keep in your kidding or lambing kit

Havencroft Kachina had these adorable twin ewes by Havencroft Neptune. The new barn gives us a great set up for jug pens to give mom and babies a safe place to bond .

 It's the beginning of lambing and kidding time here in the Ozarks on Havencroft Farm. That means it's time to keep the "midwifery" kit hanging by the door so we're ready to help when needed.

I've been a shepherd since 1979. I learned from an old-time shepherd, Finley Nelson, and from my dad's stories of having goats when he was a kid. So, I do things the old fashioned way. I am happy to learn about new ways, but I still think simple is good.

Our lambing kit is simple. It starts with towels to help mama dry off babies. Most ewes or does have twins, so if we can help her by drying off one while she goes about the business of having the second, that's good. If it's cold, getting the babies dry quickly will help them stay warm.

Scissors, iodine, towels and clean straw are staples for planning on Havencroft Farm. 

The next thing that's in the kit is a sprayer bottle of iodine for spraying the lamb's umbilical cord. It's vitally important. We always iodine babies. Sometimes we dip navels, but for the last few years we've been drenching them well with the sprayer.

We also keep scissors in the bag, just in case we need to trim umbilicals that are dragging the ground, or trim wool away from udders on sheep that haven't been sheared yet. The next thing that is vital is making sure that babies nurse very soon after being born. They need the protection of the first milk, colostrum, to protect them from bacteria and to get their gut working. We check the mama's udder, making sure the colostrum is flowing freely even if we weren't there for the birth. We also check to make sure babies have full tummies and warm, moist mouths.

If the babies are too weak to nurse, or if there is any other reason they can't get colostrum within an hour of being born, we thaw out some frozen colostrum from last year, or earlier in the year and use a bottle or dose syringe to get it down them. We always freeze excess colostrum from our dairy goats in two ounce bags for just this purpose. Colostrum and soaking navels in iodine are considered absolutely necessary on our farm.

Something else I try to keep in the kit are recycled shopping bags. They are handy for disposing of after birth. We keep that cleaned up because we do have coyotes, raccoons and other predators that we don't want to invite with the smell of new birth.

We also make sure we have clean, dry bedding available. Some of our ewes choose not to use it, but we try.

Finally, we keep molasses in the kit. We mix about 2 tablespoons (or glugs)  in a bowl of warm water to offer to every new mom after giving birth. Most of them drink it down. It gives them water, sugar for energy and minerals like iron to help replace what they've lost.

It's not much, we keep it simple. We also do regular night time barn checks during kidding and lambing season. The whole flock gets used to the flashlight as the silly humans wander through their sleeping place two or three times a night. We are respectful of their sleep and try not to shine the light hard on any ewe or doe unless something looks unusual.

Meet the flock - Greta the Hover-Mommy

Greta is a hover-mommy. She had her first lamb this year as a first time two year old ewe. We named him Ivan. He's a big, strong dark spotted 4-horned boy. A really nice ram lamb by Canoe Lake Sonic Boom.

Greta

For the first month of his life, Greta would not allow Ivan to play with the other lambs. She would run over an put herself between him and the lamb flock. She'd gently nudge him back towards the shelter with little bumps of her nose. She'd snuffle him all over to make sure the lambs hadn't hurt him.
If they got separated at feeding time, the two times of the day when most lambs have to fend for themselves from day one, Greta would leave her feed pan, hollering, until she found Ivan.

Is Ivan ok?

When we started turning the sheep out to pasture, Greta used her strident voice to keep Ivan at her side. She eventually allowed him to participate in lamb-pedes in the evening, but she watched them carefully. Now that he's almost four months old, and almost as big as his mom, Ivan does play with the other lambs, but he never will have the "devil-may-care" attitude that Cowslip's twin boys have, or Inky or many of the others who are truly convinced the world revolves around them.

Greta is the daughter of one of our herd matriarchs, Basil, who is Thyme's daughter. Greta is mostly a sweet and quiet Jacob Sheep ewe. Her fleece is soft, mostly white, with small black spots. She's very pretty and gentle and kind, sort of just a sheep, a really nice sheep, but just a sheep, until she had her son. Now she's a Hover- Mommy to the max. She'll come swooping in all battle and fury to protect her Ivan from any imagined threat.

Last weekend, we wethered all the little boy sheep and goats. We are not keeping any ram lambs or buck goats this year. Ivan has a future as a fiber wether, he's already promised to a new flock after I get his lamb's wool fleece next spring. Greta didn't really worry about what we were doing to her boy, she trusts her humans, and none of the ram lambs hollered or fussed. Greta did worry that he didn't want to walk around much, and she kept pawing him to get up and move. He would, reluctantly. Part of the healing process is for the wethers to exercise regularly, so that was good. They all seem to be healing fine.

Ivan's fine

Yesterday as I was running out the door to work, late, I heard a squalling and hollering ewe in the sheep pen. I went running out there in my full long skirts and petticoats and apron. My shiny boots squelched in the mud as I ran toward the fence, flipping my long skirts over the low spot.

Greta was standing in the middle of the pen, bawling. I climbed the hill to where the sheep like to take their morning nap in the trees. Ivan was relaxing with his little band of brothers, chewing his cud and ignoring his mother. I made him get up and go down to her. Teenaged lambs still need to listen to their mommies. It helps with the shepherd's sanity.

Even in sheep, mother's come in all types. Relaxed moms, non-maternal moms, self-centered moms. Greta is a hover-mommy.

Lamb games

Lamb watching takes up a big part of chore time in the Spring. Laughing at Lamb-pedes as the lambs race up and around the hill while their mom's eat grain; watching the little cliques challenge each other; watching the new babies learn the ropes of lamb play.
This is one of the best reasons for having a farm. Enjoy!

Jeannie's new lamb

Cowslip's very large ewe lamb right after birth.

Now she's a whole day old and ready to rule the world!

Finally!
The ewes bred to Dapper Dan have started lambing.

Yesterday, Jeannie's sweet lilac ewe, Cowslip had a huge ewe lamb. This new girl is bigger than Frannie's twins.

Now that she's a day old, she's testing her limits to see how far away from mommy she can go. Tomorrow she might even join the evening Lam-pede. They grow up so fast.

She's really beautiful.

Jeannie - what are you going to name her?

Passing it on

Today was the dyeing day segment of my three-day sheep to shawl class. We start with spinning and shearing and fiber types and more spinning.

Having great fun with COLORS!

Then on the second day we teach spinning and dyeing (with acid dyes, koolaid and natural dyes) and spinning and carding and more spinning and fiber blending and finish up with spinning.

Tomorrow we'll start with spinning, then weaving on the triangle loom and we'll finish up with some spinning. It's my hope that every student in the class has a great time and is at the very least comfortable with the drop spindle when they finish class.

Several of my students weren't able to make this class due to health issues, but the ones who are here are having a great time. Lena is team teaching with me and that's helping me to keep up with class and a bit of work at the same time.

Teaching classes is one way I enjoy passing on my love of fiber arts and fiber animals. This winter, I had another opportunity to share that passion with a young person. Kolt is the son of our assistant superintendent at the Ozark Folk Center. He really seems to enjoy helping us do chores - everything from hauling hay to worming, trimming feet and shearing. With his parents approval and understanding of the work it was going to mean for them, I gave Kolt his choice of two wether goats or sheep for Christmas. He decided his preference is for the sheep. He gets to pick the two he wants during this lambing season.

Kolt finally has a lamb!

You know how the fates seem to have a perverse sense of humor sometimes? Well, here we are, half-way through lambing and every baby born has been a girl. Until Franny's twins. Finally Kolt has his first lamb! And Demi, Cowslip and Basil are due this week, so he might finally get a pick of some lambs. I'll let you know what he names his choices.

Weekend highlights

 This weekend was a sunny warm end to January. I had Arkansas Craft Guild board meeting most of yesterday. We planned events for this 50th anniversary year and worked out details for the March 10th annual meeting.

Emma, half sheared

In the morning before the meeting, Lena and I sheared Emma-sheep. She had a huge girl lamb on Thursday and the lamb was having trouble nursing due to her mum's fleece. We named the lamb Hippo. I don't think I've ever seen a newborn jacob that big.

Lisa says the new mohair throw is divine.

Last night I finished a mohair throw out of Fantasia's fleece. Lisa has graded it "divine" and she is certain that it is hers. We'll see.

The new mohair fleeces are coming along well. The wethers Glitch and Gizmo are still steely gray. I had planned to sell them after this spring's shearing, but we'll wait and see how the fleeces look.

This morning we sheared Frannie and Amyrillis. I think in that flock Elizabeth will lamb first. She's already sheared and then the other two, but it was just better to get the shearing done while the weather is good. I think Nilly will be the next ewe to lamb, and Geo-goat is not too far out, maybe another month. Spring is certainly on the way, but we haven't had winter yet. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Shawn's out in the shop making me a pretty pecan size P crochet hook so that I can finish my next 52-things-to-do-with-an-old-shirt project. I'm shopping online for a used front load washer to finish felting my rugs. So many projects to finish and things to do. Life is good here.

Glitch does his pelican pose. 

Meet the Flock - Hyssop and Hildy

I've had several questions about Calliope's lambs that were born this past Sunday, 1-15-12. They are doing well, thank you.

"I don't want to stay in my crib anymore," says Hyssop

Hyssop

"I like it here in the fiber arts studio," says the lamb.
 "It smells sheepy."

 The little bottle baby finally developed a suck reflex about 4 a.m. this morning. She's been able to swallow what we put in her mouth, but until now, would not suck on a nipple. Life should get easier for everybody now.

Lena decided to name her Hyssop, in honor of the lamb's grand-dam Corriander. Corri was one of the foundations of our flock. Our dam lines all trace back to her, Marjoram, Pennroyal and Thyme. Now that Hyssop's figured out the eating thing, she wants to eat every hour or so. She likes to run around the house, too and is experimenting with the concept of gravity. With Lena's new puppy, Gibbs, only being 17-weeks-old, we are being careful about allowing him to have access to the lamb, so I am babysitting Hyssop in my office this afternoon while Lena runs errands.

"I think I can scratch my face without falling over."

"I don't know why the big sheep all run here
when the two-leggeds come out," says Hildy

Hildy

My dear friend Julia lives in Colorado, but she still has a profound impact on our sheep flock. She has purchased several of Thyme's fleeces and she named Thy's daughter Basil. In 2008, Julia and her husband visited us here in Arkansas. They saw Dapper Dan as a young ram and she really liked him. She thought she might want him when he was weaned. So, we kept him when we sold off the other lambs in the fall. And we kept him the next year, even though he stayed small. And then, in 2010, we started having beautiful, suprise Dan babies. He has matured into an even-tempered ram who grows a wonderful fleece and puts beautiful babies on the ground each year. I think I'll keep him here in Arkansas, even if Julia does make it back to visit.

Half-yearlings Gobi and Guthrie discuss the small sheep,
while Hildy pretends she's more interested in the salt block.

Julia suggested the name Hildy, in honor of Julia's grandmother, for the lamb that Calliope kept.
We don't know the sire of the twins, as Calliope came to the farm bred. However, the only sheep that were on the farm in Fox were the ones originally from our flock, so we are comfortable that they are purebred Jacob.

These twin girls are doing well and growing strong. A good way to start lambing season for 2012!

Calliope's lambs and yarn tensioning

When I looked out the window this morning, Guthrie as very interested in the "wild sheep's" shelter. She was poking her nose in the back. I thought maybe she was stealing hay.

Then I noticed that Calliope Jane wasn't down by the fence with Dan and the flock. But after watching for a while, I saw her head move in their shelter.

After I had my first cup of coffee and while I was putting the marinade on the ribs for this afternoon's bar-b-que, I notice Pequena the llama looking in the shelter. There is nothing in this world that Pequena loves as much as babies. The I saw the sight below.

Lena had headed out already and I hollered, "We've got lambs!" 

Calliope is very wild, but we had just sheared her about two weeks ago. I knew she was expecting, but I didn't think she was this close.

Calliope is from Corriander's line. This line almost always has twins. However, many times the first-born of the twins goes wandering off while mom is having the second. Newborn lambs can get into all kinds of trouble. We've raised many of this line as bottle babies because of this tendency. This morning's first born lamb had was stuck in the fence, between the two shelters, right where Guthrie had been so interested. She was very cold and very weak.

We warmed her up a bit and got a little colostrum down her and put her back out with her sister. However, after an hour, it was very obvious that she was getting much weaker. 

So, I tucked her in my coat, finished chores and brought her in to Lena. Now Calliope has a nice little ewe lamb and Lena has a new bottle baby. Two hours later, they are both doing well. I think it will be fun to let everybody at this afternoon's barbeque name them. 

It's an "H" year if you want to contribute any names.

Yarn tensioning device.
My students ask me about the "right" way
to tension your yarn after spinning,
plying and  washing it. The right way
 is what ever works. Stretching it between
 two bungee cords on the porch
 is pretty typical in the summer.
However, this morning it was 19-degrees outside.
 I love cast iron!