I don't have much of a post today. I was struck down by the stomach bug that plagued Snædis a few days ago, last night. I woke up to more rain and not being able to stomach coffee... not a good day. I still got myself together to go help Helgi feed. The orphans are enjoying the bottle baby lifestyle and have become quite spoiled in such a little amount of time. I was greeted by the choir of orphans which had become less of a cry and more of a tortured screeching. It rips through anyone's heart that has to walk by. Even Helgi could not resist picking one up for a quick snuggle.
3 of the 4 orphans that are subdued by full bellies
We are puzzled by Stevonnie and how she has taken to the charmed life so quickly. It is debatable on whether someone had been holding her at the farm she came from (possibly Helgi's grandmother?), or she was born this way. Either way, she is a very demanding lamb and even when fed wants to be held at all times. Here is a video I took. I am just entering the barn without trying to make any noise, but she still knows! Turn the volume all the way up to get the real life experience.
However, she was treated today because a group of school kids (~10 years old) came to visit the farm for a school trip. During this time I was trying to sleep off my stomach bug. Snædis reported that Stevonnie never saw the ground and was held by every child and she was in heaven! She suggested that the class needs a school lamb, which did not pass with the teacher.
Stevonnie looking down at the other sheep while she is held.
Again, due to the worsening mud and the continuing rain, we moved another group of ewes and lambs to the fields where there is at least grass and not mud. Many of the ewes that are in the fields around the barn have tried to make their way back into the barn for shelter. It seems like every time I am outside the barn there are at least four ewes milling around the barn door. It is usually a group of younger ewes with their leader, Becca Jr. There is a hole in the fence that surrounds the barn and they all stand around it waiting until we are out of sight and one by one slip under. Becca Jr. is a very mischevious leader ewe and uses her smarts to cause trouble. Once they are caught they are compliant and walk out through the gate and then they walk a large circle right back to the hole in the fence. She even got her mother, Kruna in on the game, except Kruna was interested in grain and I found her making her way around the barn to where the grain is held with her two lambs.
The pregnant ewes are now is one pen! While I was power washing, two ewes decided to lamb out at the same time. It was like I was back in the days of the "lambing storm" and jumped back and forth to check on progress. Both had healthy twins with a tiny bit of difficulty (just a bit of readjustment on my part). I finished the evening with the evening feeding, feeding the orphans and checking on the special case ewes and lambs. Because no other pregnant ewes appeared to be close to lambing, we will not need to stay at the barn through the night, but instead, make periodic checks every few hours through the night. Yay for no night shift!
On that note, time for sleep!
Until tomorrow!
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