Starry, Starry Night

Prudence, Yellow Tag #1, dropped a gigantic ewe lamb outside under the stars. Fortunately Matt went outside to check on Breeze and saw four lambs with sweaters standing in a circle around another lamb. On closer inspection he saw the one in the middle didn't have a sweater. It was a newborn, standing up, as big as the others and glistening with wetness. Mom was nowhere around. He got me out of the apt. where I was feeding the babies and we searched for the mother. I put lambie in a pen on dry hay. Found Mom with an afterbirth hanging, caught her and put her in with the lamb. She wants nothing to do with it but is not seriously rejecting her either. I took care of the lamb, marvelling at the size of the baby produced with mom eating only grass hay, and pulled a sweater onto her healthy torso. Prudence is a first time mother, two years old. Popping this hefty lamb out must have hurt like crazy. She ran away from the pain and who could blame her? She let me nurse her out without too much trouble - amazing considering that she is flustered from the birth - and I gave it to the hungry lamb. Matt threw some hay in the pen for us and Mom was ravenous. While she was eating I guided the lamb to the teat. You should have seen Mom's face when that little mouth latched on to her...wide eyed amazement. I sat with them a while and took it all in. Mom butted the baby a couple of times but not too bad. I believe she got some nourishment. At this point I am hoping they get used to each other. Mom is not talking to the lamb at all, a bad sign. Poor little girl. I surely don't need another bottle baby. Slightly overwhelmed by my situation, I wandered outside and stared up at the stars. Thankfully, this light show is free. I saw two shooting stars in the space of five minutes and realized how insignificant this all is. I can't afford batteries for my camera, or ear tags for my lambs and had to skip my Sunday NY Times yesterday, but I can still enjoy the stars. I saw constellations I never knew existed, and planets glowing in colors. Jupiter is supposed to be visible next to Venus in the next couple of days. I think I have five more ewes to go, and bet they will come in the next few days. The angora goats will start any day now too. They pose a different problem as they will have to be "crotched" after birthing. There is so much hair around the teats it's very hard for babies to find them. Matt is feeling so guilty about being out of work for so long and causing us so much difficulty, along with not getting the ram/buck out in time, that he's trying to be especially helpful. I confess it's convenient to have someone home during the day. Bottle for Buddy, Benny and Betty then back out to the barn to make sure everyone is on the teat. I'll take another peak at the stars.