Myra's Twins

It's all in the drop. After watching Myra bag up over the last two weeks, I would have anticipated lambs any day if it had not been for last year's post. Apparently she just fills up slowly, keeping me on edge for a very long time. What was obvious, thankfully, was her barrel drop: that distinct hollowing of the sides just behind the ribs and in front of the knee. Yesterday afternoon she was still eating and chewing her cud, perhaps laying down more than usual, but otherwise normal. Had it not been for the barrel drop and a distinctly raised tail head, I wouldn't have guessed she'd lamb overnight. In fact, I wasn't even sure she'd lamb last night, but I didn't want her outside in the cold rain and snow. I moved her to the delivery stall before closing up the barn, but I half expected her to stay there for a day or two before anything really exciting happened.

When I went to the barn at 6:30 this morning, there she was standing over mostly dried twins. Since she hadn't passed the afterbirth, they couldn't have been more than an hour or two old, and they were clearly still damp and new to nursing. Myra was very protective, but I was able to grab a few photos and give them a quick check.

The grey ram has a few white fibers on his head and behind his armpit, otherwise he's solid grey. He weighed 8 pounds this afternoon, so he was also a big boy! He's a little less flashy than Cali's ram, but he's a curious little one.







The ewe is moorit (or musket - not sure yet), and looks like a partial gulmoget (light under body from chin through tail). She doesn't have the typical eye markings of a gulmoget, and her stripe breaks between her throat to her front legs. The fact that she's moorit means her father is BBBb (black based but carries moorit). She is so soft and sweet and has already come up to me and stood for some scratches. She's smaller than her brother, but was still a solid 6.5 lbs. I'm not sure I can part with this ewe. Her markings are spectacular and I haven't retained a ewe out of Myra yet.


 As for the remaining ladies, I think it will be at least a week. It looks like the other three all still have a while to go. My guess is Mary will twin, Lucy will single and then Shelly will single last. Jeanne is not bred.