Meet one of the new babies of St. Croix #4. This precious baby, half St. Croix, half Katahdin, was born yesterday, and his mama, #4, rejected him. I'm not sure why ... but it was the second time this has happened with this ewe. She rejected a lamb last summer, as well. (The little lamb pictured elsewhere on this blog, with Acey.)
This little brown and white cutie was outside of the electric fence when I found him yesterday. It could be he tumbled out by accident, and then couldn't get back in, and perhaps stood outside while his mama continued to bond with her other baby. By the time I'd found him, she was having nothing to do with him. I had to tie her to a post and hold up one of her legs just to let him nurse!
After he'd had his fill, I ran home and put a post on Craig's List. Ran back to see if I could help him nurse some more and by then my phone was ringing, and it wasn't an hour before a gentleman and his two children came to get the little guy. They have a petting zoo of sorts, and like to get babies young and bottle raise them with their children so they'll be tame for visitors.
I simply didn't have time to bottle feed him or force his mom to nurse him every few hours.
As for #4, she's on borrowed time. Three strikes and you're out. If it were not for the fact that she's successfully raised twins twice before, I'd only give her two strikes! She's a good mama to the ones she mothers, and its possible the separation played a big part in her rejecting this one.
One thing is for certain, next time she's close to lambing, she goes into the smaller pen she goes, where she cannot help but bond with her baby.
I mean honestly, who could not love this face?
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