Robin (he is a he) looks great this morning.

Laurie has bonded with him, cleaned up his coat, letting him feed offer whenever he wishes. The colostrum has worked, Robin has pooped already, is walking steadily, resting at intervals.

His mother was nowhere in sight, something had separated them.

We found her by the afterbirth, still hanging out of her backside, we urgently needed to re-connect them.

Our strategy paid off – vanilla extract on her nose and his butt, and Maria’s skill placing of him next to Laurie’s nipples. They bonded, and he began healing almost immediately.

He was half frozen and half dead when Maria spotted him yesterday. I rushed out to get lambing milk and colostrum and heating lamps and Maria guided him to his mother’s nipples.

We were prepared to bottle feed him if necessary, but that is the last resort. Lambs are cute, but sheep are not pets or furbabies.

Maria stayed behind to frantically try to get the mother to recognize her lamb it worked.

This morning, Maria and I went into the barn. Laurie has turned out to be a good mother – gentle, attentive, calm. Robin is getting lots of milk. We brought him outside to meet the other animals so they will know him when he emerges.

Donkeys often try to reject strange animals – they guard the sheep – but if they know their smells they accept them. The sheep rushed up to smell Robin as well.

Laurie started getting nervous back in the barn stalls so we brought him. Monday I’ll call a large animal vet and have them come and check Robin and give him his shots.

We learned from Liz, our friend, and shearer who gave Laurie to us, that some young lambs were mixed in with her ewes. They were thought to be too young to breed, but it seems they were not too young at all.

She will have a busy Spring. Robin is a pure-bred Romney male, good for wool and yarn.