Life Happens
Eli, my sixteen-year-old son, and I witnessed a most incredible birth today.
Lynette started labor this afternoon while I was seeding spinach in the garden next to the sheep pasture. She’s a pretty black ewe, and last year had a strapping ram born with horns! I was alerted by her deep groaning, but she’d already expelled one lamb before Eli and I got close enough to watch. A nice-sized ram, entirely black but for a white triangle on his head and a white ball on the very end of his tail. Strong and stunning, he was up and nursing while she worked out the next one. And here is where things got crazy!
A head began to emerge, still encased in the shiny perinatal fluid sac. And suddenly we could see the entire face! Eyes open, swimming, looking at us through the clear veil! As if that wasn’t enough to marvel at, on the next push the head and two front legs burst through the sac and the little lamb hung, swinging from its waist, out of the birth canal. It shook its head free of membrane and fluid, pawed its tiny legs and started looking around. Lifting its head and looking around. Next, it curled under the ewe’s rump and started to root around for her udder! Three more pushes and the delicate little black and brown ewe slid to the ground, where Lynette commenced humming and licking her off as energetically as she had attended to the first. Within 30 minutes, both twins were dry, nursing, and following closely their constantly talking mother. When Eli and I left to get back to work in the garden, neither lamb had yet uttered a sound, which likely meant they were perfectly content and wanting for absolutely nothing at all. I’ve named them Leo, as Emma, my 12-year-old, says the very black ram looks “so regal,” and Lina, for Emma herself, who I used to call “Emmalina Ballerina.” Emma was the only one of my children who was born inside an un-broken birth sac, and I imagine she must have looked as amazing as this little lamb to the midwife who caught her.
Dora said,
April 17, 2007 @ 11:36 am
A surprised laugh emerged from me when I read how Lina started looking for food before she finished being birthed. Amazing!
Was Emma’s placenta attatched to her birth sac?!
Kriss said,
April 17, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Ya know, I don’t remember what went on with the placenta, I was too busy admiring Emma at that point. But she was born with her sac intact, so that when her head emerged, she was still enwrapped. The midwife was just thrilled. “She’ll have second sight!” she said. I don’t know about that, but Emma is so pretty, she certainly draws lots of second looks!
Dora said,
April 17, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
What’s your sheep and goat count up to?
Julie Drigot said,
April 18, 2007 @ 5:47 am
Kriss,
I love your new website and this part is just beautiful! On my new hobby farm where I’ll be moving one week from today I defineately want sheep. You guys just amaze me with all you’re doing, if I can I will be at your place on June 2.
Julie
EmmaLina said,
April 23, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
I’m sorry Mom, but is it really necessary to put that picture up?
-Emma :)