Tanglewood Farm's First Lamb! Congratulations Ingrid!

My lambwatch has been very lazy this week. I had been checking around 8pm and again when I get up around 8am. I had a sneaking suspicion Ingrid would lamb this week since Laura from Queso Cabeza warned me she likes to lamb in inclement weather.

This morning I woke at 5am after a restless night of storms and wind, and I had this weird gut feeling that I needed to go to the barn. When I got there, the sheep were lying down and Ingrid was breathing a little more heavily than usual. She often breathes hard when I am around because she cautiously sniffs the air.

She didn't really appear to be in labor, so I told her "I really want a little ewe, Ingrid... just so you know..." and I went back into the house and to bed. At 8:15am I woke to Gertrude's little baa coming from the barn. She often bleats once or twice if someone goes past the barn so I lie very still and listened. 

Within seconds, she was bleating almost continuously. I rolled over and poked Jeremy and told him something was up and stumbled from the house in his boots and my comfy sweats. 

When I got to the barn, I found Ingrid in full labor with itty bitty white toes sticking out and Gertrude in an outright tizzy! Gertrude was seriously concerned for her friend and would run back and forth to sniff me and then to sniff Ingrid. 

While I watched, Ingrid had another contraction and I was able to see a little black nose as well! I shot a quick phonecall to Laura and asked a few frantic questions and she reassured me that things sounded like they were going well. I opted to head back into the house to give Ingrid some space, and when I returned ten minutes later it was to the soft "Mehhhh" of a little lamb!

 She was very strong right from the start, and as soon as Ingrid had licked the afterbirth off of her she was standing!

 

She is a gorgeous little badgerface ewe. What more could I ask for? How about hilariously adorable little black ears! :)

 

Her little face is heather grey, flecked with white hairs from her badgerface markings. She's primarily white and has her dad's big personality already! She had a hard time figuring out where to nurse, and she would walk right up to her mom's face and bleat at her like "I'm HUUUUUUNGRY!" At one point she tried to climb right into the low hay feeder to get her mom's attention. 

She finally figured out how to nurse, which is when I was able to finally sterilize her umbilical cord and sex her. I couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered she was female. Holy cow!

We're assuming at this point that Ingrid doesn't have any other lambs this year, since she hasn't shown any additional signs of labor. I'm definitely happy with a single lamb, as my hopes were pretty low after Gertrude's mishap earlier this month. I have a name in mind, but I'm going to keep it to myself until I get to know this little lady a little better (and until I feel more confidently that she is going to make it).