What a day!

Well, Gizmo gave us our very own 'lambing live' on Tuesday night. We went down to check her just before 8pm and she was just popping the water bag out so we gave her half an hour to get on with it. Rachel was over the moon - in eight years of lambing sheep no lambs have ever arrived on her birthday, so this was a first. However when we went back to check it was apparent that things were not going to be straightforward, as she was only trying a little bit and then sort of giving up. An examination quickly revealed that the first lamb was lying sideways on to the womb entrance and although I could feel the front legs of the next lamb I couldn't find the head or tail of the lamb whose back and ribs I could feel and I couldn't move him out of the way. We immediately decided to whizz her down to our vet as this was beyond my expertise and with three live lambs I wasn't for taking any risks. Anyway, all's well that ends well and the vet expertly turned him round and got him out closely followed by a brother and a sister. Gizmo is a wonderful Mum and got them dried and well fed really quickly.

The next morning, however, I noticed a cold area on her udder - the dreaded mastitis - so as well as the antibiotics that the vet had given her for the difficult lambing, I gave her a different one that helps fight mastitis. She is also still getting a daily dose of her high energy 'medicine' which she loves, lots of her favourite mix (Jim Peet's 321) and some soaked sugar beet shreds.

Just to complete the hectic twenty four hours, one of the young ewes was discovered with a slight prolapse which had to be cleaned and popped back inside and then she was strapped into a harness which she will wear for the next month until she lambs. This will hopefully stop her straining and so stop it happening again. She is now Mathilda's new companion so that I can keep a close eye on her.

The horses, or more specifically Buster, also got in on the act - he came in last night with possibly the most swollen head I have ever seen - you could not see his eyes at all, he was slightly trembling and his breathing was elevated - a classical allergic reaction, but heaven knows what to, the vet suggesting an insect bite as the most likely cause. He was given a steroid injection intravenously by James from our vets. He was very sweaty through night but was much better by this morning.