You haven't heard much from me over the past few weeks, as many of you will know, if you've been able to catch up with me at one of the farmers markets, or meet me at school, or have a quick chat on the phone, we are in our main lambing season.
This means all hands to the pump......... crotchety men, tired staff, and lots of heartache.
The first really cold Saturday we lost several lambs out on the fields who had yearling mothers (first time mothers - not always the best as they don't always know what to do for the best). One lamb, which the children had called Saddleback, died as did his butty - brother on the night just froze out on the filed as their mum had stuck them in the coldest windiest place she could find.
Then last Thursday my cow, Lisa, started to calve, but had problems and finally the three men had to go over with the calf pullers and get the calf out, they feared it would be dead, it's tongue was sticking out and as hard as a bullet, but amazingly it was still alive and came around fairly quickly. Unfortunately Lisa was not so lucky, she could not get up, eventually they gave the calf some artificial collostrum, and milk, the vet sent some anti-inflamatories and painkillers, and I treated her with homeopathic remedies - rescue remedy, arnica and hypericum. On Monday she still had not got up, we had rolled her over several times, and she was still eating and drinking. we had to find a hoist to borrow from somewhere and the vet helped us to source one. Monday evening they attached the hoist to the JCB and managed to get her up for a few minutes. they took the calf away on Monday evening to put him under the infra red light as it was supposed to be a freezing night and he was beginning to show signs of a naval infection for which we had to get antibiotics.
The next morning I was taking my motley crew of dogs for their 6am morning walk and I found her dead in the building, I cried all the way back home, what a terrible way for her to die, and she hadn't even once fed her calf.
Nemo as the children named him, (photo above with Louise feeding him) had gone through a sticky patch during the night, but I think that the infra red light had got him through, and he was still alive - but not yet over the worse. I thought today I could here a rasping on his lungs, and he was very listless so we took him into he vets. Where she suspected bronchitis on his left lung, he had a temperature of 105 degrees. So it was a jab of antibiotics, a pain killer, and a dose of selenium - poor babs, he too has had homeopathic remedies including aconite for his breathing, and to boost his immune system and rescue remedy.
Lets hope he makes it - fingers crossed.
This means all hands to the pump......... crotchety men, tired staff, and lots of heartache.
The first really cold Saturday we lost several lambs out on the fields who had yearling mothers (first time mothers - not always the best as they don't always know what to do for the best). One lamb, which the children had called Saddleback, died as did his butty - brother on the night just froze out on the filed as their mum had stuck them in the coldest windiest place she could find.
Then last Thursday my cow, Lisa, started to calve, but had problems and finally the three men had to go over with the calf pullers and get the calf out, they feared it would be dead, it's tongue was sticking out and as hard as a bullet, but amazingly it was still alive and came around fairly quickly. Unfortunately Lisa was not so lucky, she could not get up, eventually they gave the calf some artificial collostrum, and milk, the vet sent some anti-inflamatories and painkillers, and I treated her with homeopathic remedies - rescue remedy, arnica and hypericum. On Monday she still had not got up, we had rolled her over several times, and she was still eating and drinking. we had to find a hoist to borrow from somewhere and the vet helped us to source one. Monday evening they attached the hoist to the JCB and managed to get her up for a few minutes. they took the calf away on Monday evening to put him under the infra red light as it was supposed to be a freezing night and he was beginning to show signs of a naval infection for which we had to get antibiotics.
The next morning I was taking my motley crew of dogs for their 6am morning walk and I found her dead in the building, I cried all the way back home, what a terrible way for her to die, and she hadn't even once fed her calf.
Nemo as the children named him, (photo above with Louise feeding him) had gone through a sticky patch during the night, but I think that the infra red light had got him through, and he was still alive - but not yet over the worse. I thought today I could here a rasping on his lungs, and he was very listless so we took him into he vets. Where she suspected bronchitis on his left lung, he had a temperature of 105 degrees. So it was a jab of antibiotics, a pain killer, and a dose of selenium - poor babs, he too has had homeopathic remedies including aconite for his breathing, and to boost his immune system and rescue remedy.
Lets hope he makes it - fingers crossed.
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