Lambing is underway. We hadn’t planned to have lambs coming so early but the ram decided otherwise. Last August in an effort to cash in on the “ram effect” we put the ram in a field adjoining the ewes. The theory was that the sight, smell and sounds of the ram as experienced through the gate and fence, were meant to stimulate the ewes into a synchronised heat that would trigger a prolific heat next time around. By this stage the ram would be with them.

However after coming back from a weekend away we found that the ram had somehow opened the gate and was in with the ewes having the time of his life.

Our lambing was humming along nicely without loss until the tenth ewe. She had live twins on her own. I noticed that one lamb had a bit of a belly but as the lamb was up and sucking I assumed that things were OK.

Next day the belly was bigger. I lifted the lamb and looked for a back passage. There was an opening but it quite clean. There was no sign that any meconium or dung had passed through. It looked as if the poor creature had some sort of colon or intestinal blockage. The pre-birth meconium and digested food was building up inside the lamb.

There was a possibility that the blockage was at or close to the rear end and a vet could open it up.

However a visit to the vet confirmed that the blockage was deep inside the body. There was nothing for it but to take the lamb out of its suffering and put it down. This was the first loss and I have still to receive the vet’s bill.

I don’t know how common this blocked anus problem is in lambs. The vet suggested that there might be a genetic link to the defect.

I remember once having the same problem in a lovely Charolais calf. Having to put that calf down was a real sickener. To make matters worse I got awful hardship trying to foster another calf onto the cow.

Getting back to the lambing. My biggest concern is the weather. The newborn lambs are thriving well indoors but I am running out of pens and room indoors. The Charollais cross lambs have many strengths but a good hairy fleece to combat this stormy weather is not one of them.