Sunday, March 13, 2011

Off to the vets!

Delyth (from the Uni farm) rang at half 8 and said she's on the way to the vets, did I want to go with her??

Of course I did! :P
Just had to get out of bed and she picked me up and we went straight to the vets.

The ewe had twins stuck, trying to come out at the same time! One leg was coming out first.
Managed to get them out and all 3 are alive :)))

All kicking off here now though *RollsEyes*
Lamb 24 (a PHD girls trial lamb) escaped. We were looking for it everywhere, I eventually found him round the back by the bull beef sheds.

Got a Suffolk with twins that prolapsed, pushed it back in and now she can't lamb past it
... a Blue Faced Leicester that had a prolapse, put it back in + a prolapse strap on her, who is now lambing
... another triplet ewe thats lambing.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lambing Uni farm on my own

Lambing at Uni farm iab!

On my own tonight :( 'cos the other 3 either have friends round or are going to Cardiff!

Will be fine ... just be paranoid of the scary noises + wind! ;)

I'm staying longer in the morning (I asked) 'cos I want to go round the fields with Steve, see the sheep + hopefully turn out some lambs + ewes :)

Not normally tired when we leave at 7am so will be fine + can sleep all day ;)

Have recorded a couple lambs but not much else happening here tonight. Delyth is staying with me for a couple hours for the hand over + stuff.
Time to put the kettle on! :)

On my own and it all kicks off!!

Back in halls :)
Actually not tired at all. Was a good night shift but some stuff kicked off too!
Pulled a big Texel lamb who'd got his shoulder stuck and she threw something else out straight after... Looked like a mahoosive afterbirth + prolapse.
Phoned Delyth, she said its just a prolapse, push it back in, will be ok.
I sent her a picture and she texted me straight back... "I'm on my way, might need a vet"

We managed to get it back in eventually, holding the ewe upsode down so gravity helped us. Put a spoon and strap on to try and keep in it.

We had two 1st year Zoology girls come this morning to help. One wants to be a vet, was nice but has never even touched a sheep! The other one was soooo cocky. "I've been lambing for 3 years, I know this blahhhh" Chatting rubbish ;)
We were lambing a ewe and so I got them to help, fell and try to pull it. The cocky one messed it all up so we had to get Steve the shepherd to help in the end.

Me + Phoebe (researcher who works days) just had to walk off in the end! They've said she's not being asked back :P

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Lambing pictures...

Ross the lamb:
 Milking Jordan...
 ... bottle feeding Harvey ...
 .... and bottle feeding Junior.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Tonights update...

We'z were literally just getting ready to get her to the vets and she lambed 2 of the triplets on her own!


The last one had to be pulled and had been dead inside her a couple days, but no vets ( :) but :( 'cos I didn't get to go) and she made it, with 2 lambs!

Had another ewe with 2 lambs coming at the same time ... one forwards + one back!

Had to ring Steve to come + do it but they were fine. We've ran out of pens so had to turn ewes and lambs that are ready to go out to the field, into holding pens next door (with loads of pens + runways + cool farm mechanichy stuff where they shear, vaccinate ... stuff like that) so we could move fresh lambs into their small pens.


Just had a quick shower to get rid of Eau d'Ewe. Time for bed me thinks!
Not tired at all though!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

First night Uni Lambing

Was out first night lambing at the Uni farm today!
Me + Sian were there, got picked up at 10 and Delyth explained everything about the sheds ... have got Blue Faced Leicesters, Texels, Beulahs and Lleyns. Then theres their 'hybrid' sheep called the Aberdale which they're improving the prolificacy of with the Inverdale gene - they have more twins + triplets and can be kept on rubbish grass so the better grass can be kept for others!
The big shed is split in half with an invisible line and either side has to be treated as completely different sheds 'cos they're on different trials.
Can only use one sheds stuff, silage, straw etc 'cos its all weighed out and costed down to the pence.


Then theres another 2 tiny sheds outside, one of which is part of a PHD students trial.
For the trials we have to weigh the lambs, sex them, then score them on presentation, how difficult the birth was, if needed help and the level of help, vigour after 5 mins of birth, if needed help to suck, a bottle.... Then the ewe on mothering ability, milkiness etc.
Its not hard to do just need to get your head round it and it takes a bit more time to do! Is good to say you've lambed a Performance Recorded Flock and were part of trials :)

They had 1 case of Salmonella and so we've been kitted out with wellies, waterproof trousers and big high vis bomber jackets that we leave at the farm ... especially as we're lambing at another farm too.

Its such a change from the last farm, its all brand new, and has different ways of doing things. We're not meant to pull any 'cos it affects the trial data whereas we had to pull everything at the last farm.
We also have the farm office to do in which has heating! and a kettle, toaster, sandwich maker, washing machine, fridge, freezer... lol

Delyth left at half 1 and we were fine after that. Had 1 breach that we sorted out and 1 Beulah that was normal presentation but took aages to get the lamb out so we helped her. Just left them to it as best we could, if you go in and lamb everything it will affect all the trials data!

We left at half 6 and Cody + Becky turned up to do the morning shift with Steve the shepherd + learn about lambing! :)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

4th Night Lambing in Wales





Video: Which one is it?!

Uni Sheep Farm...

We went to the Uni sheep farm earlier to see the shepherd + just see the farm in the light!

Theres a big shed split in half with an invisible line, then 2 small sheds and each group is treated differently and on different trials. We need to only use that groups silage, meds etc. Then have to weigh the lambs, sex, score on lambing, if needed help, if needed help to suck, score the ewe's mothering etc...

They've had an abortion problem and 1 case of Salmonella so are bigging up the Biosecurity. They took us up to Stores and ordered us big high vis jackets, and gave us waterproof trousers + steel-toe wellies. Has to be high vis 'cos of H&S apparently?!
Then we've got to get changed + leave those clothes at the farm so we don't spread it to the other farm. Its probably overkill but of it ever got passed over the Uni farm's (and probably our) name would be black!
Best be safe! :)

They don't just have a microwave ... have a kettle, fridge and hot chocolate, cup a soup etc!! :P

Me + Sian are there tomorrow night :))