I have three more apartment dwellers right now. They froze last night during the horrible and sudden cold snap. I have them thawing out on the oven door. I take one rack from inside the oven and stand it up to prevent them from waking up and crawling inside. I tube fed them all twice and gave them nutri-drench which has glucose and vitamins. The wind and cold was something awful all last night. I lay in bed and the barn shook and swayed over my head, making creaking and moaning noises. An empty barn is a very sad thing. Barns are meant to be full of hay to hold them together. Really, it's true. I felt so sad and powerless. I wanted to take all my lambs and kids into the apartment, but their mothers wouldn't fit in here with them, and they would be crying and wailing for their babies. It would be pandemonium in here, and Matt would pitch a fit for sure. He puts up with so much...he recently said, why couldn't you be obsessed with macrame??? I sometimes wonder that myself. I think I am finally finished with lambing and kidding, that is, if Myrna and Raven are not pregnant. Can't tell yet, and I hope not. I am just done in, wrung out, and can hardly stay awake at work. People at work have no idea, and nobody ever asks. I only offered once, during a meeting with the vice-principal the other day, and he look perplexed when I told him I had been up most of the night with sheep giving birth. Doesn't have a clue, and most people don't - so I write about it here where I say as much as I want and leave it at that...back to the barn, then fall into bed.
4 comments:
I just came across your blog and am so enjoying it...........I could not believe it....you are me a few years ago. I did not have sheep but I had the Angora goats and Pygmy Goats and had a cross of the two breeds, Pygora goats, plus we had the Llamas. Since then I have had the Boer goats. The going without sleep for a week at a time....all the kids in the house in boxes in bad weather. These days we have cut back and only birth out a few goats.Love your colored Angora goats, they are beautiful!!
I understand what you're going thru! Hang in there -- it's almost done and you are off school next week. Hopefully by then, the weather will be less cold and less windy?! Next year by hook or crook, you will have the hay you need to feed the critters and keep your apartment snug. Just look at the sweet faces of the young and older, and realize you are their angel!
Thank you friends for being so supportive! Yes, hay in the barn is a good thing...like tonight for instance. A snow/ice storm is coming and I have 21 bales! That's enough for tonight and the morning and that's it! I can always find stuff for us to eat but sheep have to have hay!
Your kitty looks as if she's ready to take the night shift and let you go to bed! Her face says it all: "These are my babes and they're safe for now."
I think they're in good hands!
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