Four Little Lambs and a Nervous Nelly

This is the view of the sheep yard if you're standing on the front porch of this farmhouse.  You can hardly tell from this angle but it's all fenced.  See the sheep down at the end of the yard?  FYI, the breed is called Katahdin and they're considered hair sheep.  Not wooley.  Anyway, from this perspective they look very small...they're not.  It's a BIG yard with lots of room to roam.  Very pastoral and quite peaceful.  A storybook setting.  Nothing to it...
 
That is, unless you're me.  Nervous Nelly.  Worry Wart.  Eeyore.  That's me.  Here's why:

 

Ewe-dora with Gaucho (white) and Coco (brown)

Late yesterday it seemed to me that Ewe-dora wasn't standing still when little Coco tried to nurse.  She'd just walk away.  Not very motherly, I thought.  I said to her, "Ewe-dora, for Pete's sake STAND STILL!  That baby is hungry!"  Like talking to a brick wall.

Then, this morning she actually nudged him away when he came close.  I stayed out in the yard for quite awhile just watching them.  It appeared that she was not bonding with that one twin.  I came inside and searched through the Guide to Raising Sheep book that was here.

Learned that the first week or so is critical (oh, great!).  "Be vigilant while the lambs are little" is the exact quote.  You can tell if they're getting milk because their little tails will "swing back and forth like a flag in a good breeze".   Of course, if he can't even get close, it's a cinch that the tail will not be wagging.   Also, the books says if the mother butts the lamb, that is not a good thing.  Ewe-dora did nudge him away several times.  So was that butting? I don't know...

Next step:  I pulled out my housesitting guide.  Under "Sheep help" there was a name and telephone number.  I decided that it wouldn't hurt to have someone just take a look.

Dialed the number.  Got a fax signal.  Tried several times...fax signal.  Hmmmm. So I called some of the other contact numbers to see if anybody had another number.  Finally reached him. 

 

Front to Back:  Coco, Gaucho, Lambda, Carmelo

He came with a bottle and formula just in case I'd need to bottle feed the little guy.  I do hope I won't have to do that.  I do not want to bottle feed a lamb.  I'm not even sure I could catch the little rascal.  They're very quick.

We watched the sheep for a half hour or so.  Naturally there was no indication at all that Ewe-dora wasn't fond of her son.  She let him nurse and didn't nudge (butt) him even once!  Thanks a lot, Ewe-dora.  Of course that was a good thing but it made me look like an idiot.  The Sheep Guy was very nice and said to let him know how they are tomorrow.  He said he'd be happy to come back if I need help.

All's well that ends well.  I think.