Here’s what happened – but it’s not over yet.

I went shopping in St Neots, feeding Floppy before I went and checking on the three ewes that had not yet lambed. I returned in less than an hour to find one of the three “Gertrude’s” (yes they are all really called Gertrude) had given birth to a lamb very close to the electric fencing. I crossed the wire to find the lamb in the ground with the sack still over it’s face and it looked lifeless but was still warm. I drew the sheath away from its face and cleared the mucus from its nose and mouth, massaged it but there was no breath. “Gertrude” was licking the lamb and suddenly I thought …….. ran over to the barn where Floppy was lying in the straw, grabbed Floppy and brought her over the wire next to the dead lamb. I began to rub my hand over the fluid covering the lamb and putting it onto Floppy. Then I rolled Floppy over the dead lamb, again and again. She was such a cooperative lamb! As I was doing this, heart pounding, Phil turned up and carried the dead lamb out of the field

while Gertrude began to sniff Floppy and lick her. In the last two hours they have been side by side although I have not seen Floppy feeding properly. She might still be full from her last bottle or not sure how to find mother’s milk.

Here’s hoping, fingers crossed and a few prayers.