Saturday 24 April 2010

we have good news and bad...


look who arrived in the early hours of this morning.....




a beautiful little boy....



and now for the bad news....

sadly his mama has no milk and as such just got up and left him ...

the lovely lady took him to her neighbour who keeps sheep and he was given a bottle of feed and artificial colostrum...
this will be good for him but he really, really needs milk from a ewe as it will carry so much goodness and antibodies..




the plan is to try and get one of the sheep ladies other ewes to take him on for a few days, he has been put to one ewe but she really did not want him...

one other ewe is due anytime now so as soon as she gives birth and if she has only one lamb our boy will be rubbed in the necessary and placed at her side...



we then have the tricky situation of what to do with him?
he cannot stay with the sheep lady as hers are meat sheep and will be fed very differently, and she would rather her lamb had all the milk understandably...

stephen and i have been chatting about very little else all day...

we think the best situation is to have him castrated with the view to him joining the crew of last years lambs we have here...
he will then at least have a merry band of forever playmates :)




the only other option is to keep him entire and pop him in with boris or rodders but the thought of angry rams fighting makes me wary...

and adding to it all we will never use him for breeding as he is not a pure shetland....

so
we are basically still thinking about it!




tomorrow we hope to visit at feeding time so i can partake in a little lamb cuddling...

or even better we hope to visit and see him suckling at his surrogate mama..
receiving all the nutrients he so needs..

t x

8 comments:

Karen Lewis Textiles said...

What a tricky situation. Glad he is well and hope you work out the best outcome all round. xx

Lyn said...

Oh I hope he gets a mummy soon, he is a cute looking boy.
Thinking of you all Tracy!
love
Lyn
xxx

Katy Noelle said...

I don't know what to say but I will say a prayer for the little guy and for wisdom for you to know just what to do.

Kate

Katie twinkles said...

I hope you do the little rubber band thing and then he can be a plump little pet boy forever xx

JuicyFig said...

This is why I would really struggle with a small holding, not the hard work, but the life and death desisions! I don't envy you that at all.

I really hope the little fella is ok, and some mummy wants to give him a little love!

Kath
x

mollycupcakes said...

OMG he's so adorable, i could just snuggle him all day long.
Both the cupcakes have just seen the photos and the house was filled with screams of Awwww lol bless them they do love lambs.
Congratultions on your first arrival, he's beautiful and will be the first of many for sure.
Lots fo sleepless nights for you 2.
Wish i was there to help, i think I'd make a good Kate Humble but prosmise not to bring the whole camera crue with me hehe!
With love,
Glad you like the necklace and dollie, they just had to be bought for you :o)
Catherine x

lynn said...

hi tracy i too have found the caithness home page gone??good luck with the little lamb i know is in good hands...lynnie

Alexandra said...

He is beautiful! xx