The tup died on Monday. We were not suprised as he seemed to be going down hill & it was probably for the best.
What we were not expecting, though, was that Scooter died yesterday. We were both shocked as she had been fit as a fiddle until Ian noticed she was wobbly on her legs yesterday morning and I took her to the vet. She had picked up by this time and was skipping round his livestock examining room, the vet said that she was fine but still scouring, he gave me anti-biotics and some glucose drink. She was following me round the garden in the afternoon, and we gave her her anti-biotic and put her away about 8.00, and when Ian put the ducks away at 9.30 she was dead. We certainly were not expecting that and she must have died almost as soon as Ian put her away. I know that some animals are fighters and others just give up, but we were still absolutely shocked.
I don’t think we will get any orphan lambs in the future. It is hard enough to keep them alive in this country where we can get advice in a language we understand. The vet did say that she was healthy ‘for an orphan’. He said that it is difficult to manage their feeding, as with lambs that are on their mum, fill up on milk and just nibble everything else. Whereas pet lambs don’t have that and will eat too much of a single thing and not get the balance right.
It is so difficult not to get attached to them, we promised that we wouldn’t after Lambey last year, however when bottle feeding and being a surragate mum you immediately bond. I shall miss her tripping me up when I go round the garden, or suddenly appearing at the door waiting for me.
I gave Freckles and Blacknees this morning some extra sheep nuts. I’m sure they appeciated it.