Lambing: Part 4

 Things I have learned:

1. It needs more muscle power than I realised. 
2. I'm going to have to stop whining now. 

Acting like a grumpy toddler is not a good look at 46 and 11/12. But sometimes you just can't help it, right? I've been going up to the lambing shed night after night with Ivie and seeing absolutely no action. None. Nada. Zilch. So, I may have taken a kick at some straw then scuffed my way back to the house with my hands in my pockets and my bottom lip trailing on the ground the other night. 

I think up until yesterday, I'd seen four live lambs born and bottle fed a pet a couple of times (until he elbowed his way into another pen, little hooves on hips and demanded that the ewe next door adopt him right this minute). 

One of the things that I love about Ivie is that he knows exactly how much to push me and doesn't give me too much time to think about things. The first time I drove his car myself, I arrived in from a walk and he said, "can you pop to the petrol station and fill up my car?".  I was there and back before I knew it and his car and I were both still in one piece. (I should explain that Ivie's car is significantly bigger and more expensive than mine.)

This evening, I was starting to get tea ready when my phone rang. I saw it was Ivie and I assumed that the puppy was getting in amongst something she shouldn't and I was being called upon to go and extract her. Instead, he said, "do you want to come and lamb a ewe?". Thirty seconds later I was up at the shed with my sleeves rolled up, awaiting instructions. 

Something else Ivie is very good at is remaining calm pretty much all the time (rugby aside) so I knew that the ewe, lamb and I were in safe hands. 

The ewe had already lambed one herself and needed 'encouragement' to lie down. I was standing at the entrance to the shed but I'm pretty sure there should have been some coffers in the swear jar tonight. Anyway, Ivie had a bit of an investigation to make sure the second lamb was where it should be before letting me have a feel around. 

"Can you feel the feet and legs?"

"I think so."

"If you reach further back, you should feel the head."

It was difficult to keep hold of the legs and I was scared of pulling too hard and dislocating its shoulders or something. Ivie helped me give it a good pull at the right angle and out it came. I was relieved to see it was the right colour, it was opening its eyes and breathing. I squirted iodine on its navel and carried it over to the pen where we'd put the first lamb. The ewe followed, we shut the pen and I updated the blackboard. 

It certainly wasn't a solo mission and I'd need a lot more practice before I could do it on my own but at least I know I have to put my back into it. At the rate we've been going, it'll be next year before I have another go but the grumpy toddler has had her last outing to the shed.