Julia and I went to check on the progress at the barn early in the afternoon - something we do together during lambing season. If we don't go to the barn, she doesn't get to see here Dad as much as he likes. He's very busy this time of year - feeding sheep, lambs and helping out when someone needs it.
Upon arrival, we saw a brand new lamb and there was another ewe in labor. It was our lucky day - it isn't often we get to see lambs being born. The barn was relatively warm so we sat down and waited. The ewe wasn't too pleased to have human company so we kept our distance.
The ewe was large and definitely experienced with birthing and raising lambs so we weren't too worried about her. Here she is making a nest by pawing at the hay.
We kept waiting patiently, talking amongst ourselves and with Jeremy the llama who was also quite interested in the new life that would be soon appearing. He loves the little lambs.
The ewe continued in labor. Here she is pushing.
This went on for quite awhile. I thought to myself it was taking awhile but The Farmer knows best. And so we kept waiting patiently.
After an hour and a half of her pushing, the sun began to go lower in the sky. We would have to leave soon. Finally a leg and the tip of a nose appeared.
She kept pushing but things weren't progressing. We grabbed a halter and caught the ewe. The next sequence of photos happened extremely fast.
Here The Farmer is pulling out the first leg.
Look hard and you will see the next leg under the first.
With one gentle tug, the lamb began to appear.
The mom is inspecting her new baby and The Farmer is cleaning out the mouth so it can breathe.
The mom is cleaning off the baby and her milk is starting to come down.
Here's the lamb as he is opening his eyes for the first time. He was a monster lamb - huge - and she probably would not have been able to deliver him without help. Lucky we were there.
On his feet after a few minutes and looking for lunch.
Julia inspecting the new member of the flock.
Lamb count - 39
Lambs in the House - 1
27 comments:
What a great series; I have never seen a lamb being born!
Stunning! Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Uh-oh. Is the one lamb in the house the one that went unclaimed a few posts ago? It's amazing how white that new lamb is.
The pictures are beautiful. I especially like the last one with Julia looking closely at ewe and lamb.
That was amazing. I have never seen a lamb born before either, like tut-tut above. Good thing she only had one, at that size!
Thank you for sharing! Such an adorable face.
Thank You! My Dad is a vet, and I spent a lot of time going on calls with him as a child. Your photos really brought back a lot of happy memories, and I'm going to share them with my daughters!
Great sequence! 39:1 that is not bad at all. Hope things stay calm.
We took our boys to see The Waterhorse on Sunday. It was wonderful; a little intense at moments, which my sensitive 4yo managed through, but a beautiful story.
Thank you so much for sharing your lambing stories! I enjoy checking in every few days to see the new lambs. :)
Thank you for the photos and letting us participate in that little lamb's birth. The photo of Julia, the lamb and ewe brought a tear to my eye. It is beautiful - they are beautiful. Thanks!
What a great entry today! I have followed your stories this past year, and enjoyed them immensely. Thanks for sharing. I, too, loved the last photo of Julia with the new born lamb.
wonderful photo essay. that is one huge lamb.
our family likes the old All Creatures Great and Small BBC series- country vets in the Yorkshire Dales, based on James Herriot's books. Comparing them with your photos and posts, I think they did a good job of conveying reality.
Thanks for sharing these.
And love your daughter's hat/scarf/mittens/sweater.
J
Wow! That was amazing!
That is so cool! Thanks so much for sharing the experience with us.
Another new life...
Great photos per usual. Thanks.
Kristin, those are amazing photos. I especially like the last one with Julia in all her pretty knitwear.
WOW! That was magnificent. Thank you.
Beautiful. Thanks for hanging in there so you could share this moment with us.
Wow. About halfway through that I called my daughter and said "Meg, come see this lamb, it is HUGE!!" She came and we just sat here looking at it. That is one big lamb.
Oh, wow -- what an amazing set of photos! Thanks for sharing them with us :) Which lamb ended up in the house? (Inquiring minds want to know...)
Wow, fabulous sequence Kristin and I can only echo others comments, the farmer works so hard and Julia is so beautiful, especially in Mom's handiwork.
Incredible. Thanks, Kristin.
Wendy
It is a miracle every time. I've seen it- and helped out- nearly all my life, but it still captures my heart and leaves me with joy and a happy smile! Thank you so much for sharing.
Cool! I love to see Mother Nature in action on your amazing blog. Thanks for sharing this miracle of life.
What a wonderful post. thank you so for sharing such a wonderous event with us. the photo with Julia in it is precious.
Wow! What an amazing process. Thanks for sharing. It's not something many people ever experience.
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