Diary of a Deckhand

The ewe looks really rather uncomfortable, which is understandable when you consider that the vet is immersed up to the shoulder playing hunt the lamb. I swear you can see their eyes widen when you so much as pick up the bottle of lambing lube in the shed. However, this ewe had got dead lambs inside her, and so to save the ewe, we have to get the lambs out.

I decide to keep well clear as the smell of a dead lamb is really quite nauseating, and toast is never so nice second time around. A lot of fishing around, and with the most undignified "schloooop" a tiny black shape is splatted onto the new straw. And moves. We all just stare at eachother in amazement, asking the unsaid question of "did you just see that?". Another kick and all hell breaks loose, the mental list of all the things i have just begun to get ready seems a mile long. The lamb is dried off, the snotty yuk cleared from its nose and mouth and it is soon breathing just fine.

The two dots on the ewes back tell us that when she was scanned two lambs were seen, so i brace the ewe against the wall and the vet has another look around inside and soon another "schloooooop" signalls the second lamb has been rather rudely brought into the world.

Born over a week early, never expected to be alive, then to survive a few minutes, hours, days. I need to go out and feed them in a minute.....