Sometimes a ewe will not accept a lamb…If you catch it early you can jug the ewe and the lamb(s) and use your dog to hold her attention while the lamb(s) nurse! It is a shepherds trick to use the dog. The ewe focuses on the dog as a threat and forgets she does not want the lamb(s)!
Belle had 4 lambs strong and healthy. But did not want to nurse them because her milk spicket was stopped up . Her udder was huge and sore so she refused to let the lambs nurse (it hurt) …
Ashlyn and Graham came over and spent the day with me and we built a Jug in the field. Once we had it built we put the ewe and 4 lambs in it. A Jug is a small pen that the ewe cannot get away from the lambs in!
Once in things did not improve. I realized I needed to strip her tits so the milk could flow! I am not a good sheep milker! But finally after a phone call to my neighbor Clay and Debbie…I was able to do the job!
Here are some photos from Tuesday nights milking!
