And has miscarried.
She had slowed down in the last few days. And I was cycling through the usual Mama remedies. But then her condition began to really worry me so I separated her from the others. Though she had been standing alone anyway. 
She was coerced into the barn then lay down on her side apparently in labour and stayed there. She expelled one small fetus about 4pm. Her ears were cold by 5 pm, and she was very low even though I could feel no more babies in there. I fed her honey and warm water with a syringe every hour or so, with aspirin as well, trying to keep her strength up so she could heal herself. There is a possibility that I brought her in at the end of her episode and she had already slipped the other fetus’s in the field. It was very, very small. I do hope there are no more in there otherwise her prognosis is grave.
I gave her a shot of antibiotics. You may think it strange to fight so hard for the life of a sheep. But Mama and I have an unusual connection. She did not much like people, having been locked in a horse stall for most of her life before I found her. It took her a whole year before I was allowed to even scratch her head. One time when I was helping her give birth and clean her babies (she always had four at a time) she went from cleaning a lambs head to cleaning my head as I bent to dry another. It was a most curious feeling of contentment being totally accepted into her wooly circle. I have told you that story before but it made a deep impression on me. Both of us working together through the night to keep her babies alive (she had way too many too fast to do it by herself). She has never had any trouble with a pregnancy before.
Even last night I could hold Mamas head under my arm and feed her her fluids. Mama was not a pet, she worked hard for her rights as the top sheep on the farm. The thought of her dying just as I decided to move Hairy MacLairy to a bigger farm is a cruel irony. They were quite the pair for four good years.
Here are a couple of old shots of her with one of her lambs. She was like The Big Dog, she never much liked the eye of the camera being pointed at her.
My first reaction was to give her a big bucket of warm water with a cup of molasses dissolved through it. She drank about half it. Then the honey and aspirin. In case her condition was caused by toxemia, or hypocalcemia – a calcium deficiency (though I cannot imagine how, as that is diet related and the sheep are on the good alfalfa hay.) I gave her Tums, the pills for upset stomachs, they have 500 mg of calcium in each tablet, so I gave her two, once she realised they were cherry flavoured she just chewed them right up. She got these and the honey and water (squirted straight into her mouth) through the evening and the night, until she had taken eight Tums. Then just fluids all night, with her mineral salt close by. She began to stand back up by 9pm.
By 1am. she was resting in a normal way and there was evidence of some eating.
In the early hours of this morning I checked every few hours and gave her her drinks, she had shifted each time, but was in a comfortable position but with her head up and no longer flat out and crying.
However we must remember that if she has failed to expel the last of the muddle in her womb – though she is looking better this morning, she will sicken.
We will see how today progresses. If she is still doing alright Monday I will call the vet first thing to get an injection just to make sure she really has cleaned.
Poor old Mama.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
81 responses to “Mama, the mother ewe, has had a bad few days..”
the bond between the two of you is papable and brought me to tears. Such tender care you have given her. I am holding onto Julian of Norwich’s words “all will be well. Wll shall be well. All manner of things shall be well.”
I am a fairly new reader, but I eagerly follow your blog every day. Until I discovered your site, and I no longer remember how that happened, and started reading your ‘farmy report’, I did not realize how much I missed the farm talk I heard all of my growing-up years until I was around 30.
I hope Mama is truly on the mend.
Best wishes…
Thank you Juliana and you have put into words exactly what it is.. farm-talk..all with our first steaming cups of coffee of the day.. lovely isn’t it?. c
I am so impressed by the dedication and bond you have with your animals, it is never smooth sailing… it reminds me when my kids were babies but with even more responsibilities because animals always stay dependent to their owners.
Farming is not what they show in movies, your posts are very honest and real which is a huge reality check for people unfamiliar with this world.
Thanks for sharing sometimes the beauty and sometimes the trials 🙂
Praying for Mama to recover, and I know that your being with her comforts her. You are such a good caretaker of your animals, always going above and beyond to do the very best that you can. I believe Mama knows this.
warmest healing thoughts and love to Mama and Celi…..my heart is heavy.
Poor Mama – good luck I hope she’s OK 😉
Like Little Sun Dog, I’m a weepy over this one. And like Crowing Crone Joss, I’m hanging onto those great words (“All will be well…”) My mother used to say them to me every morning before I went to school. Every. Morning. We need to hear these things. It helps. I am sorry for you and Mama. I feel your bond. You have shared so much…helped define each other. Ah well…just lots of love to you both. I don’t know what else to say.
Oh Celi. I’m so sorry. You and Mama must both be very tired. She will know she is warm and safe and loved – all of which must surely make a difference.
XO
As you can see the farmy fellowship is here for you and for Mamma. I so understand that love which comes from one animal to us…once it is shown and expressed it is very hard to see them as ‘just an animal’ they are one with us. My heart and my prayers are joined with everyone for you and for Momma.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
You have a wonderful way of gently reminding us what farming life is all about, the good with the not so good. If hugs could heal…. I send them by the bag full!
Oh C. Again, you are there with your deep concern, help, love and comfort for one of your animals in dire need. Like some of the others have said, this is the real world of farming, not always easy, fun or fair but you stand out in the real world of farming with your absolute dedication to your animal’s health, comfort and well being. Sending you and Mama healing thoughts and love….
Ooh this is a tough time you are going through…sending you positive thoughts.
it may be a good idea to get some bloodwork done
i cant remember the exact name of disease that causes abortions in livestock, but since mamas daughter kept losing babies, it may be worth checking out before it spreads to cattle or other sheep.
there is a vacine for it
i feel so sorry for your loss
good thinking, though Mama has never had any trouble before and Mia lost her babies because the ram got to her before she was old enough, she had a recurrent vaginal prolapse.. So these are unrelated.. I don’t think I should have allowed Mama to breed this year, she was not in as good condition as usual, she is too old and having triplets and then quads every year did not help, she is still hanging in there though and even eating this afternoon, so we will see.. c
I hope things turn out well for Mama – it would be a shame for you to lose such a staunch ally.
Oh no, poor, poor Mama. 😦