Happy ewe year: Winter is a time of arrival for some babies

The snowy season is not a time of dormancy in the animal world. Winter is the time that lambs and goat kids come into the world.

They are usually the first young to appear in the new year. In our little valley where they day may bring snow and the night will freeze, it is good to have the expectant mother in a shelter when the young are to come.

Having the ewes and does in a shelter also makes it far easier to check them each three to four hours to find out if they need assistance in giving birth. Sheep and goats often need help to deliver their young since they frequently have twins or even triplets. And, the newborn tends to be long and gangly, making tangles frequent. If a ewe or doe has labored for one hour or more and not delivered, she should be examined to find out if she needs assistance.

Once the young are born, the first priority is to see that their nostrils and mouth are clear, and that they can breathe. After they have been in the world for 10 to 20 minutes, the next order of the day is to clip, dip and strip.

Clip the navel at about two inches length, dip it in iodine and strip (or milk) the mother’s udder in insure that both sides are open, normal and productive and that the newborn gets an adequate amount of the first milk.

The colostrum, or first milk, contains the only antibodies against disease that the newborn will get from the mother. It is vitally important that the young lam or kid takes in colostrum during its first few hours of life. If it does not nurse, it must be fed with a bottle or with a stomach tube.

Having the expectant mothers in individual, clean, dry six-by-six pens before lambing makes individual care easier and reduces the threat of potential disease spreading.

They can stay there until the young are two or three days old and thus give the young a chance to gain strength before facing the elements.

(Fred Conkel is veteranarian of Westgate Veterinary Clinic.)