Tuesday 19 March 2013

A little lamb....

After last years experience with our three lambs, Sunday, Spit and Donar, Diz swore we wouldn't have any more. He is still sulking over them eating all his trees that were planted - 50! But they did fill the freezer and are still providing us with tasty meat at a fraction of the cost in the shops. Plus we know what went into them and that it is Lamb!! So we had a long discussion about the pros and cons of getting some more 'pet' lambs this year and although I was keen, Diz still wasn't. Someone must have been listening to us talking because as we finished the conversation Diz's phone rang and was offered a week old Ram lamb who's mum didn't have enough milk to feed him. Diz initially said no, but after another round of pro's and con's he gave in and we called the farmer back and 'Beko'arrived.

Poor little thing wasn't well, he had luminous yellow runny poo and didn't smell too pleasant. We were suspicious that he hadn't had any milk from his mum and therefore would not have got the colostrum (first milk) which they need for fighting infections etc. We could only do our best and hope he would get through it.





The four feeds a day began starting at 08:00 and finishing at 23:00. He was too small to put in the turkey shed like we did last year, so he had a cage full of straw in the cow shed and came out to run around with us at every opportunity. He even came into the house when we were making up his feed.
He also joined us on the dogs walk!
Unfortunately he didn't make it. Just as his stools started to get more solid he came out one morning and turned down his first feed of the day and didn't eat for the rest of the day. He was brought inside and put next to the fire but he just got weaker and weaker. Just as we discussed the best way to put him out of his misery he passed away. We did everything we could, but he didn't get the best start to his life and therefore nature took it's course.

We are now on the look out for some more lambs for adoption, but some that have had the colostrum.
Stella xx

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