Rescued from certain death.

[Goldfields]

A girlfriend and I were on our way home from town this afternoon when we spotted two magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagles in a paddock dining on a 'dead' lamb.
http://www.ozanimals.com/Bird/Wedge-...ila/audax.html

We did a U turn to get a photo, however they flew off, but we saw the poor lamb raise its head, so I shot through the fence to see what the damage was. Bite, or peck marks on the ear, neck, rump, back and it looked to be shocked perhaps, so thinking it would need antibiotics at least, we decided to take it to the farmer. The other sheep had abandonded it and were out of sight over a hill. Hardly went any distance and a smaller lamb ran off the side of the road towards the car, so grabbed that also. Couldn't raise the farmer and had to get home to feed my orphan twins, so decided to bring it back with us, then I rang the owner. Well, he doesn't want the lambs, so now I've got 4 on the bottle. Wish this little ewe lamb luck eh? She had no suck reflex to start with, just starting though.

[Love4himies]

Yay! You are their guardian angel .

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, wow! Close call for the lambs! So happy you were able to save them (although I'm sure with 4 on the bottle right now, you're wishing there weren't so many )

Eat hearty and grow fast little ewe so you're safe from eagles!

[chico2]

GF,than dawg you were there to save them
That bird though,is a magnificent bird,never thought they'd go for a lamb

[Goldfields]

Oh, yes, they're wrong saying the Eagles won't go after lambs. Bird enthusiasts try to guard the Eagle's reputation by not including lambs in the diet but my friend's husband watched an Eagle attack one of their (live) lambs, and a friend in Queensland watched one going after a full grown Peacock. It's why farmers always shot them, Chico2. Such a shame and they became very scarce in this district, but they are staging a comeback now. Maybe something to do with tougher gun control. They're a protected bird incidentally. Don't know what the answer is really. That guy could have had his lambing ewes in a paddock next to his house but then if he still didn't pay more attention to them the crows, never frightened off easily, would still find sick lambs or dead ewes and their presence must alert the Eagles that there is food available. The paddock the lambs were in had a number of dead sheep in it. Anyway, this morning she's up and alert, not sucking brilliantly but she is taking the lot. I have fingers crossed for her.The other, a merino judging by all its wrinkles, is terrific, so hopefully they'll both thrive,

[chico2]

OMG,what kind of person is this moron??
Leaving dead sheep in the paddock,why did they die??would that not be against the law???

[Goldfields]

Typical of some farmers I think, Chico. They haven't all got the time or enthusiasm to watch their ewes and assist the way I do and don't want to bother bottkle feeding lambs. For starters their ewes aren't as well handled as mine and they are in much bigger paddocks. Don't know why they'd have died. Twin lamb disease maybe, or prolapses when lambing. Whatever can kill a ewe when she's lambing.

[Bina]

It's fantastic that you saved those babes and I would have done the same thing.
Around here many sheep farmers have a donkey out in the field for protection, would that work in the case of your raptors ?

[Goldfields]

I don't know much about donkeys, Bina. The Wedge-tailed Eagle is pretty daring. My husband was once driving in his work ute and an Eagle took a magpie right beside it. There was a big puff of feathers as it hit. I'd say this lamb might have been the victim of a diving eagle too, and the wounds of the talons are what's on its back, while the bleeding wound on its neck was from it grabbing her by the neck with its beak. They're big birds so no wonder the lamb was lying as if dead, it'd be some knock. Anyway, that lamb seems good but the other lamb crashed badly on Saturday night , I got up to find it chilled to the bone, with its little gums white. However, regardless that hubby and I were positive it would die, I gave it some penicillin in case it was fighting a bacterial infection, and laid it close to the heater. Merinos aren't as tough as cross breed sheep yet little 'Wrinkles' fought back, clambering to its feet after a couple of hours. He is now wearing a Shetland Sheepdog puppy sized lambskin lined oilskin coat to keep him warm. He was in very poor condition so needs to be putting energy into gaining condition, not trying to keep warm. Photo's of him as soon as the camera's battery is charged.

[Melinda]

awww thank god you were there for the babies.

[Goldfields]

It's pretty amazing, Melinda, to rescue just one, but to get the second one was such a bonus. Poor little guy would have starved to death.

[Sylvie]

Awe, lucky babies.

for saving them.

[Melinda]

what a doll!!! and so debonaire in his coat *L* so how old would he/she be?

[Goldfields]

The one in the coat is a boy and only a day or two old, the one the Eagles got is a girl and a little older. I can't help wondering whether the Eagles can scare off the ewes, the whole flock had gone off over the hill away from them.
The funny thing about that coat, Melinda, is because it's loose, if he puts his head down it slides forward, then when he lifts it he can give the appearanace of a tortoise emerging from its shell. LOL. He's coping well with it though and is snice and warm under it, I had a feel tonight.
Must do their last, very late feed now.

[hazelrunpack]

He looks quite dashing in his coat, GF! Is he doing better now?

[Bina]

Oh, I just love the coat too. My friend has little knitted wool sweaters for newborn lambs who are born in early spring when it's still too cold in the barn. It's so funny to see a lamb in a sweater.
Good Luck with these little babes.

[Goldfields]

That'd be worth a photo, Bina. LOL. You have a nice caring friend. The dog coats are great for outside, really keeps the wind out, but not as cute. My Dorper twins spent their first night outside last night and don't seem any the worse for it. They can come over to the house yard now and be with the merino lambs, only stabled at night.

[Melinda]

how are they feeding now GF? are they like calves etc and drink from mom only a few weeks? I remember weening the calves and having them drink milk from buckets at around 5 weeks or so.

[Goldfields]

My rescued lambs go straight onto bottle feeding, using lamb and kid milk replacer in a powder form, and the ones with the ewes drink off them until their mothers are sick of them, 5 months at least. Wrinkles crashed again tonight and nearly died, so more injections for him I think. He finally rallied enough to have a good feed, albeit fed to him while he was lying down. Poor little fellow, I hope he makes it.

[Melinda]

*sending up prayers for him* I think you should rename him after a boxer or something, he's a fighter for sure....

[Rgeurts]

Awww, GF, what a beautiful baby. I've said before that you are a beautiful woman, and I'll say it again.

Thank you so much for helping these precious little babies

I sure hope they both make it!

[Dog Dancer]

GF you are so wonderful for caring for these two. They were certainly blessed the day you drove by. I hope Wrinkles fights for life, with you in his corner he's got a great chance.

[Bina]

Originally Posted by Goldfields

My rescued lambs go straight onto bottle feeding, using lamb and kid milk replacer in a powder form, and the ones with the ewes drink off them until their mothers are sick of them, 5 months at least. Wrinkles crashed again tonight and nearly died, so more injections for him I think. He finally rallied enough to have a good feed, albeit fed to him while he was lying down. Poor little fellow, I hope he makes it.

Oh, I hope that Wrinkles has had a good night.

[chico2]

What a cute little guyI too hope and have myfor little Wrinkles...you did a good thing saving these little ones.

[hazelrunpack]

Sending more s and for Wrinkles from this end, too!

[Goldfields]

Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers for the little guy. He's toileting fine, just really flat and not drinking as well as he should. I can feel his little horn buds already, if he survived I'm not sure what they do to stop them growing. The merino rams have a massive set of horns. These weak lambs are heartbreaking really, they can linger on for a fair while before dying, so it's quite depressing.
I like your name idea for this lamb if it survived, Melinda, I might rename him Lionel if he makes it, after our world class aboriginal boxer, Lionel Rose.

[Goldfields]

Well, sad news . Wrinkles didn't survive. He was maybe fighting a losing battle after his very bad start, having no colostrum and who knows how long before his first feed. Poor little fellow.

The merino ewe (attacked by the eagle) however is fighting fit and growing like a mushroom, she towers over my Dorper twinnies.

[Goldfields]

My Shetland Sheepdogs are quite at ease with the lambs, but Perkins, the Australian Cattle Dog, can't be in with them, he does give them a nip. Jarrah on the other hand has gone clucky on sighting them and has made milk. She wants to adopt all 3. I've had this happen before, the ACD's can be excellent mothers and some are prone to phantom pregnancies and this urge to adopt babies of any description. My foundation female wanted to adopt baby chickens for instance.

[Melinda]

awww I'm so sorry Wrinkles didn't make it, but glad the other is holding its own, what wonderful pictures!!!!! I love the one of them all laying down in one gathering!!!

[Myka]

Is Jarrah a dog? That started producing milk? That's too funny!