Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Happy New Year! 2025!!

 

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Post Hay Harvest Walks

A couple of paddocks had been closed off from the sheep while we grew the grass for our winter feed. The hay has now been harvested and is in the barn, so we are able to go for walkies again... a nice way to spend an afternoon with my Arapawa's.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Our Worst Lambing Season

2024 could have been our best year with 25 lambs from 14 ewes... but instead of setting a record, 4 lambs perished, and we had to call out the vet twice.

Our troubles all happening during or just after birth.

1. Ewe tried to give birth to twins at the same time and got stuck. Both lambs died.

2. A lamb died shortly after birth due to breathing problems.

3. A ewe with twins gave birth to the first lamb successfully and then the second lamb became stuck. Both lambs survived.

4. Another lamb died shortly after birth.

I don't know if it means anything but all 4 lambs that died were rather large lambs... much larger than a standard Arapawa lamb.

I have been wondering whether it's just bad luck or is it the result of my decision to lamb latter when the weather is warmer and there's more feed about. More feed bigger lambs?

I love having sheep and I don't mind the drama when things go wrong... but this year has been a challenge to my will power to keep on going.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - A Win Win!

My future firewood pile might have been commandeered by the lambs... I spent a good half hour watching them play. I think I've come to the conclusion that maybe that it is no longer a future firewood pile. The lambs are happy, and it makes me happy in that I no longer need to cut it all up. A Win Win!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Consequences!

Whiskers has fathered 21 lambs this year... I have noticed his patience is wearing a little thin with the very playful lambs... consequences Whiskers... consequences!

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Lambing Issues

Well that was an interesting start to the day. 

We've started lambing with 3 ewes having given birth to successfully to 6 lambs. The 4th ewe to go into labour was Girlie, a favourite of mine and a great doting mum to her babies.

But all started going a little wrong.

When I noticed that Girlie was in labour, I thought I would see if I can video it as she was close to the house. So I setup the tripod only to discover the sun was in the wrong position and then to notice Girlie was having difficulty.

See Facebook Reel...

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/157rJeCwmp/

This is the first time in 10 or so years of raising Arapawa sheep that I have had a birthing issue. Girlie was due, she was very big and possibly carrying twins as she had last year.

I wasn't too sure what to do. The lambs normally just pop out... but this lamb was truly stuck no matter how much Girlie pushed. The lambs head was out... so I had a little feel around... bare handed...ewww... and I could feel a hoof above the head and thought that's not right. I didn't want to forcefully pull the lamb out, as I wasn't sure what to pull and I didn't want to cause additional injury.

It was time to call out the vet.

Girlie was a trooper and on the vets arrival and elbow deep the vet discovered Girlie was trying to birth the two twins at the same time. The head of 1 lamb and the leg of the other coming over the top. The vet repositioned the second lamb and pulled out the first.

There was some signs of life in the first lamb, but as much as the vet tried to keep it alive it didn't survive. The second lamb was born dead.

What's really sad... Girlie is such a great Mum, and I can feel her heartbreak, as she stayed nearby watching me burying the lambs. 

Once I had finished Girlie rejoined the flock. Girlie should make a full recovery.

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - The Southern Lights

What a great way to start the morning... 5am... 3°... running around outside trying to get a good Aurora 📸

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Big Mommas!

All of a sudden, our Mommas have become BIG Mommas!

I feel my calculations are a bit off, the due date was mid-November, and they're meant to have been shorn at the start of October, before they got too big. But there's been some delays with the shearer, so we might have to shear after birthing now, I'm not sure?

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Wax-eye on Ice

We've all heard of Swan Lake... but let me introduce to you the beautiful and very Kiwi "Tauhou/Wax-eye on Ice"

Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - There's No Day Like A Snow Day

We've been living here in North Loburn, Canterbury for just over 4 years and we've just experienced our biggest snow day since we have been here.

And then the day after....