A new ram lamb for Lisa

Thinking about it, I live in a self-made utopia.  I watch satellite television which is broadcast from Britain about Britain and the wider world and therefore hear about all the horrors of the failing NHS, asbestos in school buildings, football fans invading pitches, the Ebola virus, diabetes in children being insufficiently monitored, the pathetic political wrangling about TV debates etc. etc.  I rarely receive any news specifically about France, except that which I glean from neighbours in conversation – so I never really hear anything bad.  I seem therefore to have created my own, ignorance is bliss situation about how wonderful France is, having no real social problems of any type – apart from the awful Charlie Hebdo attacks a few months ago. Clearly, deep down I know that I’ve done this, but I enjoy not knowing anything horrid happening in the country where I have chosen to live.   News can be very depressing but I have become an ostrich and it’s lovely!

I had a wonderful surprise on Friday morning when I walked round to the furthest field to see two sheep intent on something on the ground.  As I approached I realised that the very small white object on the grass between them was a new born lamb – a ram lamb.  

Just half the size of my cats he had not yet got to his feet and birthing bits were still coming from his Mum so he must have literally just been born.  It had been below freezing the night before so it was lucky he hadn’t been born then.  I picked him up and both sheep followed me through to the smaller of the hen runs against the barn.

I placed him on new hay in one corner of the run and his Mum and surrogate Mum licked him continuously.  As the morning went on I removed Martha, the surrogate from the run leaving Lisa and her baby to bond with each other.

The joy was short-lived when I discovered the lamb on Tuesday afternoon unable to put his right front foot to the ground.  Clearly his knee had a problem and initially I thought it was broken.  He was also very hot.
  

The vets at Corlay examined him – his temperature was over 40°C – and said he had an infectious arthritis caused, probably, by an infection getting in through his umbilicus. They gave him jabs of tetanus, anti-inflammatory/painkiller and antibiotics.  Apparently this is an extremely painful condition and if there was no improvement by Friday’s appointment with them then he would have to be put to sleep.   

The following morning he was putting his foot to the ground.  I swabbed his umbilicus and gave him his daily intra-muscular antibiotic injection.  He was much cooler and I was cautiously hopeful for him.   He improved each day and when I revisited the vet on Friday he discharged him, though first he did a castration by banding.  I don't suppose the lamb will be feeling too friendly towards me for a while.

When the vet weighed him on the first visit he was just 1.4kgs - so tiny and so sweet.

Three things I like:

1.    Playing in a bowls match on Saturday against the only other Brittany based club.
2.    It's only another seven days before my next incubator chicks should start hatching.
3.   Just had the first summer booking for rainbowcottagesinfrance.com.