Lambing: Part 2

Things I've learned this week

I can be useful

Ivie came in from the lambing shed last night about 11pm with three photos for me (see below) and a big smile on his face. They knew that one ewe was expecting quads but one that had scanned for triplets had a sneaky wee lamb hiding behind her ribs. Ivie's brother delivered the triplets and went to bed. Ivie went to the shed an hour later and there was a fourth lamb up on its feet and sooking.

1,2,3,4....

We're now at the end of the third week of lambing at the Spittal. I'm told they're about halfway through and I've even been given one or two useful things to do.

Today there was a cast of thousands working in the shed. Ivie's brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew were all getting their sleeves rolled up, along with a young girl doing work experience who already knows more than I do. I hovered around trying not to get into the way, half of me hoping I'd be given something to do and the other half slightly hoping I wouldn't.

It's not that I don't want to help. It's just that they all know what they're doing and don't have to be given instructions in words of one syllable. My nightmare would be to stand in the wrong place and make a field full of sheep go in the wrong direction. 

One of the things I'm most conscious of at this time of year is how busy Ivie and his family are every day (and night) and how little use I am. I'm also conscious of everyone out being productive at weekends while I'm basically just fannying around.

Today I felt a bit more part of the gang. I managed to stand in the right place (twice!) to first help move sheep who had lost their lambs back to the field and then to help move a field full of sheep into the lambing shed. I felt a bit like the office junior being given one instruction at a time and then going back for my next task.

I cleaned the blackboards for the pens that had been emptied so that the next mama could be moved in with her lamb(s).

I filled water buckets, moved feeding troughs and after a cuppa I stood around while Ivie and his sister-in-law both lambed ewes that had three live lambs each. It's amazing watching anyone do something they're good at but there's something even more amazing about watching someone help a ewe give birth. They know by the colour sprayed on the ewe's back how many lambs are expected, but there are a lot of unknowns.

Which way will the lambs be facing (the 'right' way is head and front feet first)? Will any of them be alive? Will it go to plan?

My job was to squirt iodine on the lamb's navels to prevent infection, which is the most I've got involved up till now. Who knows, maybe this time next year I'll take the week off work during lambing and will be doing a shift myself.

Is this what's known as a sheepy-back?