A mothers love

Lambing is generally my favourite time of year. It's spring, everything looks brighter after a gloomy winter and I absolutely cherish the opportunity to help new life into the world. It's a great family time. The children love to help us and although there are always a few small tragedies, it's in the whole a joyous time.
This year is different. We are only a tenth of the way in to lambing. We're lambing the small flock next to the house, made up of about 70 Jacobs and zwartbles, with a few others too. We always lamb these first and they may a nice warm up to the main event (the other 400 commercial breed sheep) which happens in a few weeks. But these first ones are my favourite. Why? Because they make wonderful mothers on the whole and are very easy lambers. I suppose this has to do with less breed manipulation for commercial purposes.
This year though is proving horrid. Out of the first 30 we have lambed, I can count on the fingers of one hand how many have been straightforward. We've never seen so many badly presented lambs. Upside down with their necks twisted right back is a common one. Lots of ring-womb in the ewes (they just won't dilate). And lots of still born lambs.

Earlier I nipped out to the field and caught this girl. I flipped her over and lambed her. This tiny pathetic creature started breathing after the old straw up the nose trick and plenty of rubbing but wasn't good. I then felt in for the next but knew it was all very wrong. I called my husband who pulled out a part formed lamb and lots of gunk. We think there was a third but it had been absorbed and broken down. We're hoping she'll expell it herself.
The sad thing is she was desperately trying to revive this lamb herself. She had three beautiful black lambs last year and she is such a good mum. I have stomach tubed the lamb but it's no good. It will probably be dead by now.
I'm now hoping for a triplet to be born so she can have one. But I believe sods law my have something to say about that.
At 2.30am this morning I brought this lamb in as it was almost dead. It spent the night in the Aga after being stomach tubed. Then this lunch time input him back with his Mum that was at least one happy ending and my original blip.
If you want to end on a happy note