Ok, please forgive me for getting my snit on about this subject, so this is my fair warning, I try really! hard to be very postive on the blog, so don’t read on if you are expecting that on this one..
Now I read a far number of farming blogs and many of them are new homesteaders, and there is a learning curve (this is normal and to be totally expected!) and there is one blog I read, not because I think she does things right but more because she is like my daily soap opera, the amount of things she does wrong is straggering at times.. its like watching fire.
So let me be clear this was just the final straw as they say..
Here is my issues..
Please Peaple Stop writing on your homesteading blogs over and over again, about PULLING your babies, this is centered right around lambs and kids, thankfully I don’t see it much at all in regards to calfs or colts.
But the amount of times I have read this spring already about, Pulled the baby.. What the @%&@& is going on.. Please Repeat after me…STOP Pulling babies that don’t need it done!!!
These were not in need babies, they were not written up as a detressed babies, they were not stuck babies, they were totally normally being born babies, and when they presented, instead of pulling yourself up by your boots and letting things happen naturally, folks are jumping right in and pulling when there is no need!
There are so many reason’s this is BAD!!! O let me count the way..
1) you put stress on those wee joints that are fragile!
2) you are not letting the baby naturally drop if the mother is standing, this is not a bad thing, in natural birthing, as the mother stands back up, she naturally will till the wee one downwards, which allows birthing fluids to be removed! if its a rear birth, I can and will move the baby into that postions, after its been born.
3) you are not doing your mothers any favors, so many folks these days know now that its a bad thing to mess with momma and baby if you are a human, why do you think this is any different with your breeding girl.. if she is not destressed, chill damit, you are risking pulling at the wrong time, you are risking infection and then having to give antibodics to the mom’s, just to be safe, and if you don’t, then you are risking alot more issues.. if you let a mother birth naturally, clean out naturally and you as the farmer have them in a clean jug on clean bedding, there should be no issue.
4) You are doing your breeding herd and your farm no favors.. We CAN NOT always be there, so which would you raither have, three or four or sixth generation of girls on your farm that are strong, active healthy birthers, that maybe, just maybe you might need to step in and help once in the odd while, or do you want to be the breeder, that has to be there or else, we lose babies..
I have bought from both of those breeders myself, I got one girl from a line that just gets it done, the breeder will be there if needed but 99 percent of the time, she expects to walk out and find it done and live healthy babes at side, and I got one who didn’t have a clue and this was a proven mother, that (never had a issue) I had to help deliver both kids because she would just stop and look at me for help.. When I phone and asked about mother, grandmother and even sisters, I found out she was generations of a line of I pull the kids.. I sold her as fast as can be.. I don’t need or want that on my farm.
I have currently birthed out 11 ewes this year.. how many times I have I been there at deliver, about 60 percent of the time, 20 percent while the lambs were still damp and 20 percent dry and at least six hours old..
How many times have I needed to help pull a lamb this year.. NONE!!!!
How many times last year did I need to help pull a lamb-Once, it was a young girl, and she has a big single lamb, needed a bit of help.
How about the year before that.. NONE!
Please folks, be calm and let those momma’s have a chance, give help only! if its needed, and for those that are looking to buy, While I know that you will do what you want in the end, take it from this farmgal, Walk away! from the breeders and farmers that “breeding” this into their lines..
Real life example
Miss Piggy, I could have bought a large black female sow from five different folks, three all used crates, (I would not touch them with a ten foot pole) one uses pens, and does alot of good things (angelo’s breeder) but i went with the breeder that had girls that were natural birthers, who didn’t need rails or anything else, and I knew that she was 3rd gen of free birthing, and she did just what I hoped, birthed out a good size litter of eight, all done, no fuss, no muss, by the time I went out, she was settled down with everyone nursing and just went.. Hi ma!
That’s what I breed for! That’s the kind of lines I want to buy from.. and while it might take a bit more looking to find that farmer, its so worth it when you do!
Just another Day on the Farm 
Oh YES! I have a friend who had to sell off his whole flock recently due to family problems and he is heartbroken because he can’t be involved in the lambing season. He explained how he LOVES to be involved by pulling kids and taking over all the duties that I think the mother should do – scrubbing them clean etc.. I am far more of a newbie at lambing than he is and I thought he was NUTS. Maybe being a mother myself has something to do with it…good post farmgal!!
I agree with you.. nuts and thanks.. i just had to write it..
I so agree with you there. Though I know almost nothing about farm animals. I also can’t help but think, and I know I might ruffle a few feathers by saying this but… how would our lives be different if we would let human mothers do the birthing by themselves, with someone on hand in case something happens rather then have the docs do everything?
I am not saying things can’t go wrong and that having someone check on the birthing process is not a good thing but I really think we jump the gun far to fast, the less knowledge you have, the faster and harder you jump on “doing something” its very hard to sit back and just chill while watching and supporting the mom at the same time.
I sure hope people will listen to you.
I hope so too, but the sad thing is the books are filled with lots and lots of folks tell them to tied to those momma’s, if you are not there, it will all go bad, when it should be more like.. the odds are in your favor, and its rare to have something go wrong.
We have a wonderful neighbor who has been a rancher for 50 years, we call her “Mid-Wife”. She’s attended more successful live births than the Vet and the snot nosed ob-gyn in town combined. In the last 17 years, we’ve had to call her once. Momma Ewe had been laboring for 8 hours when M-W finally decided, “it has to be done” but she warned us that the #1 cause of uterine prolapse was intervention. Sure enough, we had 2 BIG, beautiful lambs and had to tie the uterus back in never to breed again.
I hear you, at least my vet’s honest, its like he said, you have birthed more critters then I have, and you know what a normal looks like, where I am only called out if its gone really bad.. It was a real shock when I asked him.. how many litters or births have you done that where just normal and he informed me that he is a vet but not a breeder in anyway.. openned my eyes on that one.. but at least he listens to me.
Right on FarmGal, I’m with you 100%! Responsible breeders of ANY kind should be encouraging good traits in their animals – as hard as that is – period. (Otherwise you’re in the wrong business.)
I’ve been a shepherdess for nearly 30 years now. My mentor taught me to check for problems when the water bag had been been broken for at least an hour. This year I had 38 ewes lamb and had to assist two ewes. The first was a second lamb of a set of twins coming hind legs first and the second lamb’s forelegs were in the right position but the head was turned back. As for the other 36, they had them on their own and most with out me even present to watch. This year another ewe had the water bag out so I left for the recommended hour and when I returned she had had delivered a large single lamb and prolapsed her uterus. So not all prolapses are the result of pulling lambs.
Hi karen
I hope i was clear that if possable being there is a good thing and that of course you should help if something is going wrong, i totally agreee on that, but you proved my point in your comments.. most of your ewes were good on there own,
I feel like it helps to have one “experienced” mother in the group. My pig had her first litter, but had not seen a baby pig since she was one herself, so when the first 4 popped out she was like, “WHAT DO I DO?! WHATS GOING ON?!! WHY IS THERE SCREAMING?!!” She was scared and I tried to let her figure it out on her own, but she was just too freaked out and confused (to be fair, one screamed bloody murder every time it fell over and it was starting to freak me out, too). I finally got in the pen with her and started petting her, giving her a belly rub when a piglet latched on. BAM. she figured it out, calmed down, and has been a totally attentive mother. She needed someone there to tell her it was okay, and since there wasn’t an experienced sow to do it I had to tell her it was okay. she seemed to settle down when i was calm and assuring her it was okay.
Last year we had a first time ewe lamb first. Partly thanks to her breeding there was no problem, but i also think it was because one of the other ewes was there giving her advice. This year all my ewes were first timers and the first one to lamb wouldn’t stop licking the lambs. When they would try to latch on for milk she’d move away and lick them. It took a day for her to figure out lambs need the boobie. The next one that lambed had actually been there and seen the first one lamb and was calm and let hers latch on right away (i did help her a little…mom was a little small for the size of lamb she had. I just helped stretch her vagina over the lambs forehead where it seemed stuck. once she was stretched out a little the lamb popped out. no pulling involved). I really feel like the animals need to see it and learn it for themselves.
we’ll see how they do next year with one lambing under their belts.
Very interesting comments, and I love seeing how you helped when needed, so glad your critters have support when they need it, but are also being allowed to do things as naturally as possable.. I have been enjoying reading your blog! Need to do some back reading to catch up.. I find that if they are good young momma’s they tend to just get better with age provided of course that they are well-looked after.