2012 Lambs are Arriving!

Darwin, birth photo

Lambing started on Monday, 4/30. So far we have 13 lambs and we still have four more mothers to go.  We lost a ewe yesterday to a prolapse and it was devastating.  She (Bailey) was one of my foundation ewes in my Romney recessive breeding program and to lose her is heartbreaking in so many ways.  Vaginal prolapse can occur for a variety of reasons (overweight, carrying multiple lambs, nutritional deficits, lack of exercise, etc.) so determining the exact cause is a case for investigation.  One starts ruling out variables first and we know she was not overweight, she was fed well, had access to a variety of essential minerals, and had as much exercise as all the other ewes.  So, that leaves multiple lambs inside. We "guess" that she may have been carrying triplets, as her line has a propensity for multiples, and she simply ran out of room.  Whatever the reason, it was a situation I never hope to see again.  For now, we are focusing on the beautiful lambs that we do have and they really are beautiful!  Gorgeous CVM/Romeldale lambs that are so colorful and healthy!  And, perhaps, the most striking is our new recessively patterned Romney ram lamb, who we are calling Darwin.

Doonsbury and sister DeeDee, 4 days old.

      The ewes seem to have a predilection for lambing when the weather changes.  And we're getting much needed rain right now...does that mean lambs tonight?  Time will tell!

eyes Ears & TEETH!!

Finn with Dale

Finn with VCM

 Hard to believe Finn will be a month old next Tuesday!  He has developed so quickly from the helpless fuzzy loaf to jolly little pudge waddling around the pen.  In just three short weeks, Finn's eyes have opened, his hearing has kicked in and he is *almost* fully mobile.  There are still many instances of the drunken sailor but his coordination develops fast.  Like all my puppies have, Finn has a fondness for Vermont Chew Man (VCM) stuffed fleece toys.  We call it the "Foo man!"  He also has a stuffed sheep that he pins regularly! (An omen for the future?  Nah :)  He is eating solid food now along with nursing, but Katrina limits his bouts a bit more...and I get it...his little teeth have also erupted.  Sharp!  We are working on getting Finn to use his litter pan and it's going...oookaaay?...not perfect, yet.  I decided to lay some newspaper around the box so he associates the odor and feel with elimination, and that has helped.  Peat's breeder, Loretta, has given me great advice and I am trying to live up it. I don't know how she did it with full litter!  I can hardly stay on top of ONE! :)

Pinning the Foo man

       Finn is now accepting guests (:)) and met with his Auntie Lisa for the first time yesterday.  Today we have some more "Finn fans" coming by, with the goal of exposing Finn to at least one new experience or person every day.  This morning we met Hazel, our mousing cat.  She had mild interest and then decided that Finn was "one of Those" and hissed.  (Katrina and Hazel have a running feud...but I'm still not sure which of them is really in charge...though I have my suspicions.

Edward Scissor Paws!

Here's my little man...with loooong toe nails!  I gave him a trim only a week ago (and even managed to cut a quick--Ouch!--yes puppies feel pain...I felt so terrible!) and still they are like tiny long needles.  Finn is walking around now, playing with stuffed toys (with a little animation help from me:), barking and growling.  I don't think there's anything cuter than watching a 2 1/2 week old puppy growl and bark!  He doesn't seem to be responding to noises...yet..functional hearing comes on board after eye opening.  But then again he does seem to orient to me when I baby talk...yes, I admit it, I coo to him.  I just can't resist.  I tell him he's one lucky Border Collie to be born on a working sheep farm...his destiny is set!  He'll earn his keep just like mum and dad.  Speaking of dad, Peat sniffed Finn today for the first time with cautious interest.  Katrina watched carefully and while I don't think she'll be inviting Peat in for tea anytime soon, she allowed it with trepidation.  I think he'll be crawling out of the whelping box by tomorrow...let the games begin!  

Eyes!!!

Finn nose color filling in

Finn's eyes opened  on Monday!  Dale noticed that he was sitting, holding his head up higher than he has before, and seemed to be orienting to visual stimuli. And while fully functional vision isn't really expected until 3-4 days after the initial opening,.he oriented toward Dale and started his wobbly way over to see him!  Incredible!  Just as with human children, folks that study dog development have partitioned puppy development into stages and eye opening commences that period known as the "Transitional" period.  My books tell me that this stage is characterized by increased motor skills (including tail wagging!), the onset of functional vision, emergence of teeth, the development of hearing and the ability to eliminate on his own (though I've seen Finn eliminate on his own, actually several days ago!)  Of all of the things that are expected to happen in this period, perhaps I am most excited about seeing his tail wag for the first time.  A dog's tail is so important for communication and I am dying to see what Finn will "tell" us!:)   The Transitional period ends when the pup is capable of startling to a noise. 

Finn's eyes opened Day 13

It won't be long before Finn will be up and about and underfoot! And we'll be looking for as many new and safe experiences as we can find.  Katrina spends more time away from the whelping box now, though still running to Finn's side when he whimpers.  We have also renovated our dining room into a large puppy play area, lined it temporarily with linoleum for easy cleaning, added a crate to allow Finn to start learning about his own special "cave" and made plans for adding new toys and obstacles on a regular basis to keep his brain developing!  The hardest part will be making sure he gets the proper exposure to other dogs, but where there's a will, there's got to be a way.  And since we've got the will....well, we'll find the way!

Finn nose color

Finn is 10 days old today.  It's a cliche but time really does fly when you're having fun.  And it's not that I want Finn to stay this little forever,but it's just such a thrill to watch him develop.  A couple of days ago I noticed that if I scratch him just above his shoulder he has a little scratch reflex.  So very cute!  And I'm also watching his nose color change.  As he ages, his nose should start filling in as black.  Here you can see that he's got two perfect little black dots by his nostrils and it's so cool how his color pattern from his upper lip continues onto his bottom lip.  Shows you how those color patterns get laid down during embyronic development.  He is now 38.6 ounces, so he is averaging a gain of a little over 2 oz each day.  He is also getting up on all fours, only to quiver for a for a few seconds and then collapse!  His neck muscles are developing and I notice that he can hold his head up much higher and for much longer than he could a couple of days ago.  I also saw him lick his blanket today!  All that much closer to giving kisses ! Ha!

One Week Old!

Finn, reclining on a paw...aaaaaaahh :)

Finn, nose first

Mr. Finn has made his first week birthday!  His weight this morning was 32 oz.  Oh my goodness that's big for a one week old baby.  Predicted weight would be 29 oz.  so he is a little ahead of the curve. We'll keep an eye on his weight gain.  Although it doesn't seem to impair him, as this morning he was up on all fours and trying to walk!  It's incredible how these little creatures mature so quickly.  We should expect his eyes to open the end of this week, and of course I can hardly wait.  While I know he is connected to his world via tactile, thermal and olfactory signals right now, as a human and so dependent on visual information, there seems to be something so special about being able to gaze into a little's tykes eyes.  Windows to the soul?  I don't know, but I can't wait!

Katrina & Finn

While Finn grows, I read.  One of my guides as been Canine Reproduction: The Breeder's Guide (3rd Ed.) by Phyllis A. Holst, MS, DVM (ISBN 157779-114-2).  While I absolutely don't consider myself a breeder, this book outlines the whole process from deciding if one should breed to reproductive problems.  Early on (a whole 2 weeks ago!)  I read through Puppy Intensive Care: A Breeder's Guide to Care of Newborn Puppies by Myra Savant-Harris, R.N. (ISBN 1-929242-24-7) and it's quite apparent that Myra is a nurse.  The book includes a DVD and great information especially regarding what one should have on hand if one find herself saving a premature, sick or orphaned pup (quite glad I didn't have to use much in this one).  Finally, I am scouring Another Piece of the Puzzle: Puppy Development edited by Pat Hastings & Erin Ann Rouse (ISBN: 978-0-9678414-2-7).  Absolutely fascinating!  I've read a lot of this material here and there before, but never with my own babe in my own dining room!  This book is a compilation of essays written by various folks on various components of pup development and how to do it "right!"  One interesting idea is to include a litter box in the pen area after pup is about 21 days old.  Peat (Finn's sire) was bred and raised to 9 weeks with Loretta Mueller of Full Tilt Border Collies and she used this method!  Peat was a snap to housebreak!  So, little Finn, you'll be having a box all your own! :) 

Day 5 - Super Puppy

On Chris Bach's recommendation, we are using the Super Puppy program developed by Dr. Carmen Battaglia. The program recommends performing five short little exercises every day that are designed to enhance early neural development.  Click here to see Dr. Battaglia's paper and a description of the exercises.  These exercises are recommended for any puppy, but seem particularly important for a single!  Plus anything that puts me touching little Finn makes my heart sing!

Finn is growing like a weed and the expectation is that he will double in size by his first week's birthday.  We have to watch that he doesn't get too heavy!  But there is no doubt he's growing and that Katrina is producing enough milk.  This is a period of rapid growth, so we are watching and measuring him everyday.  We are noticing that he is spending more time sleeping away from Katrina and she is spending a little bit of time outside the whelping box, though ever vigilant for any whimper that brings her instantly to his side! We have a heating pad in the box for supplemental heat when Katrina is briefly away, but it seems as though he stays on it only for a short period of time and then crawls away to a secluded corner to snooze.  He seems particularly fond of  crawling under a towel or blanket. This is one incredible ride.!