12 March 2020

Rosie's Girls

Yesterday morning I noticed that Rosie was acting strangely. She was standing a little away from the others, on top of the hill. Because I know these sheep so well, I'm able to notice odd little things like this. Rosie is rarely on her own, she much prefers to be with the group. I walked up to meet her and she was talking to me as I approached. Something was clearly going on. Rosie is a talker and rather than bleating like an ordinary sheep, she just goes, "Mmmm."

After Flora, my guess was that either Penny or Rosie were due to lamb next. I checked under Rosie's tail and there was a little trail of goo hanging down. I put the halter on and walked her to the shed where my dad checked what was going on. He could feel a lamb but it was still in a bag and it could be dangerous to burst it. So we waited.

After lunch she became restless and was talking even more. We checked again and this time the lambs were ready to be born. First came a pair of white feet. When Dad said this, I thought he meant white feet as in black hooves with white legs but he actually meant white feet and legs! The first lamb was a perfect little Zwartbles with a white blaze on its face, a spot on its chin, four white socks and a white tip on its tail. I wasn't expecting that! To my delight the lamb was a girl too.



Second to arrive was a fluffy black beauty with some white on her head. More like what I was expecting!



Rosie is an excellent mother and she dotes on these two. She's only had singles up until now but I'm very happy that she's finally had twins. I get to keep the Rosie family!



The knockoff Zwartbles (she is after all only half Zwartbles, despite appearances) I named Clover, as in lucky! Usually according to Sod's Law such an unusual lamb would be a boy. The second, bigger lamb is called Clementine.



Clover's wee nose.



Clementine's nose, just so she's not left out.



I put Rosie next door to Flora and her family. Chanel and her sister Coco are over a week old now and I'm hoping to get them out soon. The weather has just been so awful lately!



Clementine and Clover are a very relaxed pair.





Rosie has lots of milk and love to give.



From bottle baby to proud mummy.



Flora meanwhile has returned to old habits and begs for milk every time I walk by her pen. She still loves her milk, it turns out! She's just a big baby.



Clem looks like a vampire after that drink!





Now I just have to wait and see who's next...

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