These pictures were taken last Spring when Alice delivered twin lambs, Zola (grey & white, ewe lamb) and Zahara (moorit, ram lamb). Both lambs were minutes old in these pictures. It's foggy and raining here today, so I haven't had the chance to get a current picture of Alice, 2 weeks before she's due to lamb. In spite of the fact that Alice is a good-sized ewe who has never had any complications during lambing (in fact, delivered a full-breach lamb ~ Zahara ~ last year/ without assistance, and triplets the year before!), I always worry about her, as lambing time approaches. Maybe it's because she becomes less friendly. I may be heading that one off this year ~ I've been giving Alice and Diva alfalfa pellets, by HAND, for the last week. So, they both follow me around when I'm feeding. The rest of the sheep only get hay. I know. I'm mean. ;-) The real reason that Alice and Diva get the extra is because Alice always looks thin the last few days of her pregnancies and immediately after lambing. Plus, she always has such big lambs! In 2004, she had triplets weighing 6 pounds, 6 pounds-10 ounces, and 7 pounds! As usual, she did it unassisted and cared for them all, herself, too. She's such a great mom. But I always worry about her getting Ketosis. Diva's just a baby, herself, and still growing, so I give her the alfalfa pellets so she has the extra energy and nutrition she needs for herself AND her lamb...She's becoming QUITE obnoxious! I got some awesome pictures of Alice IN labor, last year. Unfortunately, I can't FIND them! I'll keep looking ~ and try to get a good shot, showing how big she looks, later this afternoon....
Thanks to all of you who join in the "Alice Watch", every year and offer me moral support and encouragement. Keep my girl in your thoughts and prayers again, please.... ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment