It's a girl...................

[ljw695]

Well, at least I ***THINK*** it's a girl. He/she is a Sebastopol hatchling that made his/her appearance on Friday. I call her my miracle baby since I wasn't having ANY luck with the first six or so eggs I had been incubating. One or two came close but didn't make it through the last week of gestation. I was watching the eggs carefully until I got busy helping my husband with our 750 ewe flock that began lambing mid-April. I have a full-time job and was working with sheep evenings and weekends so had a hard time remembering to even water the eggs. I bought a Janoel automatic turning incubator that was supposed to do it all--and by golly IT DID.

The last egg that came close to hatching, I tried to do as suggested and take it out of the bator that had all the other eggs in it that had the auto turner and placed the egg in one of the Styrofoam bators. I waited 24 hours before putting the egg in it to ensure that the temperature was right on the mark. However, after putting the egg in the temperature increased a couple of degrees on its own. The baby didn't make it.

On Friday, after delivering a load of wood and preparing the milk replacer for the bonus babies (normally called bummers but that's so negative--about thirty lambs without mothers), I decided to check the incubator. When I looked in, there was an egg with a hole in it and I thought CRAP (not really the word I thought) another egg exploded in the incubator, but when I lifted the lid to remove the egg a little beak peaked out. EXCITED doesn't quite describe my feelings. Not only did she not get regular watering let alone extra humidity, but she was still on the egg turner--must be it turns slow enough so that she didn't get disoriented.

I left it be while I did chores and other things but after about an hour or two, I couldn't stand it any more and I took the egg out of the bator and started talking to it. Then I carefully began peeling back the shell near its head and continued toward its back. Because the hatchling looked completely dry, I continued to peel away the entire shell and was relieved to see that the sack was completely absorbed and the abdomen closed. There was a little spot of blood on the paper towel when I set her on it so I thought CRAP, I killed it.

I put her back in the bator for the night and she was still alive Saturday morning. AND she's still alive today (or she was when I left for work). She drinks from the waterer and has started eating chick feed off the paper towel--she won't touch the stuff when it's in a can cover.

Eight eggs still in the incubator, four to six of which look viable--candled them last night and will now try to ignore them until it comes close to 30 days for the next egg. I tend to mother things to death so will attempt to be less "hands on" and let God do the work.

A New Mother Goose (Laurie)

 

[chooks4life]

Congrats on your little one, lol. Bet it's a boy though, that's often how it goes.

Wish my ewe would get around to lambing, she's an orphan I hand raised and every time the ram tries she strolls off like 'nup' even though she's cycling regularly. My theory is that if she has a lamb of her own she will stop thinking I'm her mother and her only flock, LOL, because she's not bonded to the ram or any other sheep. :/

Best wishes.

 

[ljw695]

Good luck with your ewe. But I believe it's more a problem with your ram. He's not trying hard enough. Our rams don't take no for an answer. Maybe you should try a different ram.

 

[chooks4life]

Thanks, and best wishes with yours too. I figure that when she's in heat she will stand if willing, but I have seen females refuse a male just because they don't seem to like him... Which generally means something's either wrong with him, or with the female who won't mate.

I was thinking it is probably an issue with him, but it's hard to be sure when she doesn't even realize she's a sheep yet. I don't have another ram I can use, either. I'd prefer a real Damara ram, not this random little Dorper/Damara/some random thin-tailed-breed mongrel. He's only young, though, about 9 months, physically able to 'do the job' but not being allowed. He's a lot smaller than her, too, all they do is fight, not really act like a flock. She's a Damara, so if she isn't going to cooperate nothing's going to happen. That giant fat tail won't move itself. Rams used to "normal" sheep often fail to mate Damara ewes due to the tails. But he should be able.

If he doesn't get the job soon I will replace him with something that can. Hopefully a real Damara ram.

Best wishes.