Lambinglambinglambing.

This weekend, I are be mostly lambin'. I spent 12 hours in the lambing shed on Sunday/Monday, pulling small sheep out of larger sheep. It was actually quite enjoyable; they've given us some responsibility and so we are largely required to make managemental and treatment decisions on our own (though there are many laminated sheets on the walls to remind you what you're expected to do). The morning shift was definitely the best of the two. Were were busy, but not rushed (we had 4 ewes lamb, 2 had to be assisted). I lambed quads (certainly the 1st so far, and my 1st ever), two of which were breeches! Cat dubbed me a "lambing conveyor-belt". A few days later, the quads seem to be doing well, although one has been fostered off onto a ewe with a singleton, so they're triplets now. Apart from lambing lambs, we spent hours trying to eke some life out of lamb 2**1 (don't know if I should put actual numbers up). It seems to wholly lack any ability to thermoregulate, and required an intraperitoneal injection of glucose, stomach tubing and a heat box to get its temperature up to normal (39C). It then lost the heat again as soon as we put it outside. I must admit that it's not looking bright. Still, the vast majority of the lambs are healthy and well, and the farm is much well managed and clean than any I've lambed on before.
The night shift was a bit harder - it was dark and cold, and we were sleepy, but we bashed on through, lambed 2 ewes, rang the vet at 4.30am because a ewe managed to haemorrhage everywhere (even though it had lambed 4 days before). I gave it oxytocin though (under the vet's instruction), and that seemed to stop any prolapse possibility, and the flow eventually stopped. A little stressful for 4.30am though! We also did some castration and docking, weighing, spraying, cleaning and other little chores, just to keep us warm and awake. Ah, tis a vet student's life. Still, I got home at 9, had some cereal, and slept until 2.