The Miricle of Birth

Many people say, that winter is a time to slow down from the rush of spring and summer, and for most of those from the cold climate of Pennsylvania, this is true. However, when raising sheep the lambs come in the most frigid temperatures of February and March. Being raised in the hot desert climate of Arizona, I am quite comfortable experiencing the beauty of the large snowflakes falling, as I watch intently from the window in the warmth of our home.
God certainly knows exactly what he puts in the desires of our hearts. There is nothing that can make me enter the cold outdoors as the arrival of baby lambs. Lambing season always brings an air of excitement. Whenever the baby lambs arrive, I will be awakened to my husband David saying, “Honey, you’re a Mom again.” Daisey and I immediately get dressed; grab a bottle of iodine for the umbilical cord and a bucket of warm water with molasses for the mom. We approach the ewe and her lamb with care and iodine the umbilical cord and put a cozy woolover on the lamb, so it will not become hypothermic. Hypothermia is the leading cause of death in baby lambs. It is hard being born into a cold environment, after being isolated in the warm and safe surroundings that God has intrinsically provided. We then take the lamb in hand and coax the mom back to the jugs were she can have some time to bond with her lamb. We usually leave them in the jug for a few days. A jug is a temporary area where the ewe and her lamb can be isolated to bond and gain adequate nutrition. It is a nice time to get some much needed extra attention and nutrition before they are placed back with the flock. We place a bucket of warm water and a hardy spoon full of molasses in with the ewe for some added energy after she has labored and given birth. It is usually no time at all before she drinks a good bit of her bucket down. We always give an added treat of some nice alfalfa hay and grain for nourishment. We then leave her alone with her lamb and check back in an hour to see that she has dropped her placenta and began to nurse her lamb. If she has not eaten her placenta, we will dispose of it. We then take the lamb and check to see if its belly is full and weigh it for our records. If mom and lamb are doing well, it is just routine checking on food and water and keeping their pen clean before returning them to the flock in a few days.
It seems, I will never tire of the miracle of birth.
C.A. Bresin