Nessa

It's been a long time since I've written here but I want to get back to keeping everyone updated about farm things!

About 2 weeks before I left to go back to the States this summer one of our lambs became very sick. She was unable to stand on her own, and even when you tried to set her up on her feet, her legs would collapse from under her even while you were supporting her. Obviously because she was unable to stand, she was also unable to get milk from her mom, so multiple times a day we had to milk one of the ewes and syringe feed the little lamb.

Yummy, vitamin rich grass!

A week passes and there were no signs of improvement. I was at the farm every day, trying to get her up and walking by holding her up because I didn't want her to lose strength in her muscles. She tried so hard and was so determined, but she just couldn't support herself no matter how hard she tried. She would raise her little head up and look at me and make a soft little bleat as if to say "thank you", and I would carry her back to her little bed in the shed and give her a nice scratch behind her ears as she fell asleep.

I hate to see any animal suffer, so even though others on the farm told me there was nothing that could be done for her, I refused to accept that. Obviously there are times where that is true, but I knew there had to be a reason for her sudden illness when she had previously been able to walk perfectly fine for weeks. I searched and searched for answers until I finally came across something called White Muscle Disease (also known as Stiff Lamb Disease). The symptoms of this disease were textbook to what she had. Arched back, difficulty moving or unable to move or stand at all, swollen joints, too weak to nurse, but otherwise remain bright, happy and cheerful. That was exactly her.

Nessa and I enjoying the fresh air

I brought this up to Steve and we both looked into it more and knew we had found the problem. We called the vet the next day and described the symptoms and they agreed with us. White Muscle Disease is caused by a Selenium and Vitamin E deficiency. Usually grazing sheep consume enough of these vitamins and ours obviously do because we have never had this problem, so why this little one was affected we're still not sure. Luckily though, once we figured out what she had, the solution was fairly easy. We got a Selenium and Vitamin E injection from the vet and administered that to her. I continually carried her outside for fresh air and to let her eat grass because the vitamins in the grass were obviously much better for her than eating the processed lamb food. She was always quite pleased with her grass and we enjoyed our afternoons lying out in the fields together.

After a day or so she started perking up. She was able to keep weight on her legs and was sometimes even capable of taking a few steps, which was a huge improvement! The day before I left to head home for the summer was the first day she was able to walk unassisted. She was wobbly but she could do it, and she followed me around everywhere, calling out to me the whole time :)

Today, she is the happiest little lamb! She is small for her age, probably due to the nutrients she wasn't receiving during her sickness. She is very lucky as well because White Muscle Disease can eventually cause heart and lung problems if left untreated. We named her Nessa, for no reason in particular other than it was stuck in my head one day. She is bouncy, playful, and loves running around the fields begging for treats (because she knows she's spoiled!).

I am so happy I took the initiative to find out what was wrong with her because if I hadn't we wouldn't have our cute little pet today, and we now know what to look out for in the future so we will no longer have to wonder what to do if this happens again. 

Nessa today :)

"Your feet will take you where your heart is" ~ Irish Proverb

It's been a while since my last blog post and I don't know where that time has gone. From trying to set up a small new side business, to taking care of sick lambs, to making lists and going to last minute appointments to prepare for my trip back to the States, it's been quite a busy time here. But I thought I'd sit down and write a follow up to my last blog where I wrote about some of the things that I find to be difficult changes since I've moved to Ireland. This blog is what I love about the country!

Sheep - Before moving to Ireland I had never seen a sheep. Sheep just aren't common farm animals at home, we're more cow people! I remember the first time I saw a field full of sheep in Ireland. Steve picked me up from Dublin Airport and we were on the bus headed to Derry. Once we were out of the city and on the motorway I saw the white fluffy shapes off in the distance, got a bit overly excited and said "SHEEP!" while pointing out the window. I'm pretty sure the entire bus laughed at the crazy American who thought a seeing a flock of sheep in an emerald green field was the most quintessential Irish scene you could imagine (and to me it still is). But as I've come to know our own sheep I'm in love with them even more. They are such sweet, loving creatures and they make me so happy just being around them.

Stars at night/Northern Lights - I saw the Milky Way once when I lived in the States. It was through a telescope at 5th grade camp. Other than that there was so much light pollution that you never saw too many stars. Here though... the night sky is breathtaking. The most beautiful night sky I've seen so far was the night Steve proposed to me. We stood outside and you could see the Milky Way so clearly and thousands of stars twinkled overhead. We also saw two shooting stars that night so I'm pretty sure that was just another sign we were destined for each other ;-) Ireland is also a perfect place to view the Northern Lights. I've only managed to see them once so far but even that one time was magical. One of these days I will get out with my camera and try to capture them.

Living by the water - Growing up in the middle of the country the only time we were able to go to the beach was when we went on vacation. Now however, the ocean is just right up the road. I don't even mind the fact that the water is usually ice cold, just having my feet in the sand and listening to the waves crash along the shore is enough for me. I'm always reminded how close we actually are to the water when I hear the cargo ships blow their horns. It's a sound I never thought I'd grow accustomed to but now I'm as used to that as I was to the sound of airplanes flying overhead at home.

Potatoes - Who doesn't love potatoes? And potatoes straight out of the ground? The best! You can go to pretty much any restaurant here and the majority of your side choices will be some form of potatoes. From chips (chunky fries) to dauphinoise potatoes (sliced potatoes in a creamy, cheesy sauce) the choices are pretty much endless. Many times your dish will already include potatoes, but you still of course have the option of 1-2 additional sides... so 3 different types of potatoes anyone?!

Accents - Need I say more? I will never get tired of Irish accents. Ever. And listening to my husband speak Irish as well is also amazing.

The smell of burning turf - So many people seem to hate this smell here! My mother in law hates the smell and will open every window in the house if turf is on the fire. I however love the smell! It's so hard to describe. It's just a really rich, smoky, earthy, fresh scent. We've been meaning to cut some of our own turf the past few years but haven't gotten around to it yet, but our hill ground has plenty of turf banks. There's even an old overgrown turf road where they used to take the wagon and horses through. Hopefully this year we'll be able to cut some of our own so we can enjoy the wonderful scent throughout the winter.

The History - We are about 15 minutes away from a beautiful stone fort that dates back to 1700BC. I can't even wrap my head around that. Seeing ruined castles sitting on tops of cliffs, it's not only stunning but also hard to believe. I always try to picture what everything looked like back then when the castles were in use and there were settlements around. Kings and Queens, Knights, sword fights. I would love to know the history of the land we own. What happened in those fields way back when. The stories the land must hold.

Not having to worry about natural disasters - Though the weather here is usually pretty rainy, it's a huge relief to know that I don't have to worry about many natural disasters. At home I lived in tornado alley. Our house has been hit twice by tornadoes and we've had several other very close calls. It's something I've always had to be aware about and something I have been raised to be very educated about. In Ireland though tornadoes are the last thing on my mind. There was a time last year where a tornado was supposedly spotted in Buncrana and my in-laws were very concerned about it. When they showed me the photo in the newspaper I couldn't help but to laugh. It was nothing more than a whispy cloud that was just very low hanging. I'm not saying it could never happen but if it did, I have the feeling it would be extremely tiny and would do little to no damage. Ireland just doesn't have the conditions that are conducive to producing tornadoes and for that I am very glad.

Being so close to the Gaeltacht - The Gaeltacht is an area of Ireland that is still Irish speaking. This is mainly in the west of Donegal. We are only about an hours drive and we love going out to that area so Steve can practice his Irish. It's just so fun to be in an area where you can hear the original language of the country. Not only that, but it is one of the most beautiful places I've been in Ireland. It's still so natural and rural. Old stone walls are still used as fences, bog wood is everywhere, ship wrecks are washed upon the beaches, it's just indescribable.

Folklore - I heard a story one time about the council in County Cork wanting to build a motorway. There was a town that the motorway was planning on running through that had a very famous tree which was in danger of being destroyed during the construction of the road. It was a fairy tree (either an Oak, Ash, or Hawthorne tree). In Irish Folklore it is said that types of otherworld creatures live in or around the fairy trees. It is also said that Pookas, Cluricaunes and mysterious white-clad women appear at these trees late at night. It is a desecration to remove a fairy tree. Due to this, the council ended up building the motorway around the fairy tree. It's stories like this that make Ireland such a magical place to live. I will never get tired of hearing them, and maybe believing them :)

"Aye, the Irish aren't that different, surely"

Being in a different country with an entirely different culture obviously comes with some changes. Some are for the better, while others are still a struggle for me, which is mainly what this post is about. It's been hard to adapt, having to learn my way around on my own. Sometimes it gets to me and all I want to do is be back "home" for a little while. There are many things here I don't understand, that seem completely illogical. But then again that's how things have been done here forever and I doubt if they'll ever change. This post is by no means an "I hate Ireland" post because that is definitely not the case! I love it here! These are just some of the things that are pretty much nothing more than common annoyances for me as an American living in Ireland. And as a local once said to me... "Aye, the Irish aren't that different, surely" ;-) Here's what I've noticed so far:

• Immersion Heaters - If you want hot water in most Irish houses, you have to flip a switch to turn on the Immersion which is basically a big electric water heater. Used to taking showers in the morning? Not in Ireland. Actually, are you used to taking a shower whenever you feel like it? Well you'll have to wait at least 30 minutes. And then when you get distracted and FORGET you have the Immersion on you panic when you remember and run to turn it off because it is VERY expensive to leave it on for a long period of time. Anyway, I'm still not used to this change. I usually end up boiling water on the stove even if I want to do the dishes, and I always end up taking my showers at night (which makes my hair look like a mess the next morning!)

• Prescriptions - At home if my doctor writes me a prescription he can either call it in or I can take the prescription to the pharmacy and they fill it for me, which it is then entered into their system and to refill it all I have to do is call and pick it up later. You can even have your prescriptions automatically refilled for you. In Ireland, the GP writes your prescription and you take it to the pharmacy, they stamp the back of it with the date, and then give the prescription back to you. I don't know about you, but I have a severe lack of organizational skills, and having to remember where that little piece of paper is, and having to take it back to the pharmacy every month... doesn't work well for me!

• The Lack of Common Food Items - Black beans, white vinegar, dill pickles, corn starch, turkey, artichokes, decent peanut butter, pretty much any type of Mexican food... these are just some of the random things that you can't get in Ireland. Oh what I would give to have a good dill pickle right now. 

• The Weather - Yes, it's Ireland, it rains a lot. But you don't realize how much it actually rains until you live here, and you don't realize how much it effects you until you have to deal with it all the time. It's depressing. And that's coming from someone who used to love the rain.

• Funerals - Funerals in Ireland are still very traditional and this does not bode well for someone like me who has an extreme fear of deceased people. Visitations, or Wakes, are held in the home of the deceased person or that of a close relative. Their bodies are laid out in their beds, candles lit, and people visit the bedrooms to view and say their goodbyes. No embalming, no make-up, a Bible sometimes propped under the chin to keep their mouth closed. I was TERRIFIED when I heard this (still am terrified). After the wake, the coffin is carried from the house to the church in a type of parade, which always tends to close most of the roads in town. Also, something I think is quite rude in regards to funerals here, the family of the deceased are the ones who provide food for the guests. Something which is very different from the States where the family of the deceased aren't expected to lift a finger in regards to food!

• The use of "Sure" and "Like" and "Yer man" - I love listening to everyone talk here, there are just a few things that I don't think I'll ever catch on to. Maybe someday though! In the States when we say "Sure" it's often in answer to a question, for example Q: "Hey, do you want to go out to dinner tonight?" A: "Yeah, sure. That sounds great." Or we also use it a lot to replace the word 'positive', for example: "Are you sure you don't want to go to dinner?" In Ireland, or at least up in the Northern areas where I am, "sure" is probably the most common response to any question, statement, or really any comment at all, and it's pretty common to just stick it onto an end of a sentence for no reason whatsoever! Example: "Oh go out to dinner with them sure, You'll have a great time sure". 'Surely' is also a very popular way to say it as well. "Oh aye, surely" is probably one of the most common ways to answer questions here, I never hear people just answer "yes" or "yeah". Steve told me before that this is because when the Irish language was still spoken there was no direct translation for "yes" or "no". As for the the word 'like', in Ireland it is said more as an afterthought. For instance someone would say, “That sheep is really sick like” or  “She went to the shop like”.  At home in the States we would say something along the lines of “I like your new dress!” or 'Valley Girls' try to fit 'like' in after every word... "Like oh my God, I like so totally like that!".  But rarely, if ever, would we say “I know like” and consider it a complete sentence and say it just to say it. Finally, "Yer man". This one gets to me for some reason. The first time someone said it to me I was very confused, thinking they were asking me or telling me something about my husband, as he's technically 'MY MAN'! But no, it's just a way the Irish say "that guy" or maybe "whatshername". But they say it in a way where it sounds like you're already expected to know who they're talking about and I usually have no clue. It's also used when the sex of the person referred to is not known which is REALLY confusing to me. Example: "Why don't you give yer man a ring" or "Did you see yer man at the pub?". I think I'll write another blog post soon about all of the language differences here.

• Time - The Irish are late for absolutely everything. Maybe it's because everyone is laid back, but really... Everywhere closes for lunch here and I remember one day waiting at the bank for it to re-open. 15 minutes after their re-opening time, nothing. 20 minutes... nothing. A line (or queue as they would say here) had formed and everyone was relaxed and chatting to the person next to them, whereas I was really annoyed because I had places to be! Over 30 minutes later the bank re-opened, no apology. One of the workers was even on a personal phone call for another 10 minutes (the line I was in of course). It's the same when you have builders or any type of maintenance person coming to your house to fix something. When we were getting carpet put into our cottage we were the ones who were continually calling the carpet company to make the appointments, etc. and then when we finally had the appointment scheduled, no-one ever showed and we never heard anything back FOR OVER A MONTH! By that time we had gone with another company. It's definitely a game of cat and mouse when trying to work with other businesses here. As frustrating as it is to someone who was raised to be on time or better yet early, I always have to keep reminding myself that they're late because they're relaxed, and maybe I should learn some lessons from that. 

• Small Appliances - I didn't realize when I came to Ireland that the ovens were half the size as American ones, along with everything else including refrigerators and washer/dryers. Everyone is very energy conscious here which I think is a great thing, but everyone also seems to depend on the weather to dry their clothes. We're in Ireland remember? It rains all. the. time. So when I wanted a dryer (to put in our laundry room... which is outside in what used to be an outhouse) everyone thought I was crazy and that it was a waste of money. We ended up buying a combination washer/dryer which I don't think even exist in the States, but it works. I hang up my clothes when I can but otherwise I use the dryer. The oven and refrigerator are other things that are very small here. When we moved into our cottage the oven was pretty trashed so I wanted a new one. The most common type of oven here has two doors on the front which to me was very inconvenient as I like to cook, and having two miniature oven doors meant that I wouldn't even be able to fit a casserole dish inside. The day we went shopping I didn't have much of a choice, we bought the only one door option there was. But it works, and even though it's still very tiny it's perfectly fine for cooking for two people. Although I would have no idea how I would cook an entire holiday meal if my family was here. As for refrigerators, they're small as well. Ours is very skinny and short. I would say it's probably only 4-5 feet tall and the freezer section is miniscule. But to have what they call an "American" fridge here... be ready to fork out A LOT of money. I don't think an "American" fridge would even fit in our kitchen anyway! 

I know there are many more things I've had to adjust to since living here, however I'm sure a lot of them I don't really notice much anymore and others I just can't remember now. I'll have to start taking notes when I remember things so I can do a Part II of this post.

Loss on the farm

 “It is a fearful thing to love what death can touch.” - Anonymous

Being surrounded by 50+ animals when I'm at the farm is a dream come true for a person like me. What more could an animal lover want? I get to play with sheep and lambs for a living! But then that little voice in my head speaks and and reminds me that no, my living is raising lambs for food. I'm raising these precious, intelligent little babies to be killed when they're only a few months old. That hits me hard and is something I have a very difficult time coping with.

Me with Ean

Over time, I've tried to ignore my discomfort and anxiety but I can't help to feel guilty about it. My husband I'm sure has seen it all. He has to load the lambs on the trailer for their overnight journey to the slaughterhouse, he's the one that has to see the fear in their eyes. He's had to drag the bodies of ewes and lambs up into our hill ground to bury them away from the rest of our livestock. He deals with the death aspect. I however have made it my job to deal with the suffering aspect, no matter how difficult is on me. I try my hardest to do everything in my ability to make sure I'm either nursing the sick ones back to life, or comforting them in their death. They don't have anyone else.

This year on the farm we have been quite lucky so far. In regards to lambing, this is the time of year where we have the most losses for the obvious reason that birth is a risky thing! We had 32 pregnant ewes this year, 28 one year old ewes (the lambs from last year who are too young for babies), and so far we have had 46 lambs born. Out of those numbers we've had one stillborn lamb, one lamb die of sickness 2 days after birth, and sadly one of our year old ewes has probably died up in the hill ground as she was one of our favorites and we have been unable to find her these past few days... cross your fingers for us that she's just been hiding!

One of his neck wounds

I've been a nurse to two adorable lambs so far this year, one of them I have named Ean (pronounced "Ian" but with an "A" sound for the "I") which is Irish for bird. He also has the nickname of Birdman and Scar-face. This poor little guy was attacked by a vicious Irish Gray Crow. The crows prey on the poor helpless lambs because they know they're not fast enough to get away. The crows are big enough to hold them down. It has to be a terrible death as the crows usually attack the eyes first so they can get into the brain. This little guy was very lucky though. I noticed him lying in the middle of the field one morning and I ran over to him thinking he was dead. The first thing I saw was blood on his head and neck and I knew he wasn't alive. I went to pick him up and I heard the saddest, softest little bleat. He wasn't strong enough to stand on his own, he had gashes in his neck, cheek, ear and shoulder, so deep that you could see muscle. We did everything we could for him. I washed out his wounds and put a thick medicinal tar all over his cuts. I milked his mom and fed him with a syringe. I also mixed some brandy into a bit of the milk as he was only a day old and was too young for pain killers. Brandy not only helps with the pain but it also warms them up. Then I made him a bed out of a cardboard box and loaded it with clean hay. I took him with me into our little stone shed and pet him while he slept. I didn't think he had much of a chance as he was unable to stand, let alone walk, and as the day went on his breathing became noticeably raspy. I couldn't leave his side though because I couldn't let him die alone. Somehow my little man made it though the night and the next day he was able to stand a take a few steps. You could tell he was in pain because he hung his head very low and was unable to stretch his head up to drink from his mom (he also wasn't able to walk enough to keep up with her and his sister). So the second day I still had to syringe feed him. He also got a shot of antibiotics. In the following days Birdman gained a lot of strength back, he was able to follow after his mom and sister for pretty good distances, he didn't seem to be in as much pain as he could stretch his neck a bit higher, and he definitely seemed happier! Today, we don't have to feed him anymore because he can now drink from his mom. We still keep an eye on his wounds and continue to cover them in tar to keep infection out, but he is doing so well and is a happy, bouncy lamb! He's very friendly with me as well since he was so used to me taking care of him. He'll come over to me and let me hold him for as long as I want and he'll just lay in my arms and sleep. Birdman is very cute as well as he has a bit of a unique look due to his past injuries... his ear is very floppy and he still holds his head a bit sideways!

I'm all better now! I'm also pretty cute!

The little one I delivered, just a day old

The one lamb death we had this year was difficult for me. This was a lamb that I delivered completely on my own. My husband was on the complete opposite side of the farm and I was the only one around during the birth. Once I saw the two feet and the tip of the lamb's nose were out, I helped her along and pulled the lamb out during her mom's contractions. As many times I see it, birth on the farm will never get old. It amazes me every single time. This birth in particular however was very special to me as I was quite proud of myself for handling it all on my own! After her mom gave birth however (to twins), we discovered that her udder was dry on one side. We started milking another ewe who only had a single lamb to get extra milk for this little one, but unfortunately the lamb I delivered passed away rather unexpectedly two days later. We suspect it is because she just didn't get enough of her mom's first milk. Like humans, the first bit of milk called colostrum or beesting milk is the most important for the newborns to drink as it contains antibodies that help to protect the babies against disease. "Colostrum is crucial for newborn farm animals. They receive no passive transfer of immunity via the placenta before birth, so any antibodies that they need have to be ingested...The newborn animal must receive colostrum within 6 hours of being born for maximal transfer of antibodies to occur" (Wikipedia). Sadly though even through our efforts of feeding her extra milk, she just wasn't strong enough. Her death really got to me. I luckily wasn't at the farm on the day she died as she passed away during the night and was found already dead that morning. If I would have been there I probably would have been the one to discover her and I'm sure that would have made it even more difficult.

Right after delivery!

Everyone says that as time goes on I will learn to dissociate myself from what I am seeing, doing, and experiencing on the farm. I however don't believe that's true, and as painful as it is, I don't want to be someone who dissociates those feelings. That's just not who I am. I will continue to be the "farm nurse" if you will. And if I can save a few lives or even just comfort those whom I can't save, then I hope I am doing some good in the world. I still refuse to take part in sending the lambs off to the butcher and I try my hardest to not get attached to any of the male lambs because I know they'll be gone in a few short months. That is the only way I know how to shield myself from the pain of losing them. So I will continue to be a sheep farmer's wife, a farm nurse, and a huge animal lover, despite the heartache involved. I nurse them, my farmer husband is a vegetarian, and I never have and never will eat lamb. It's the little things... 

McLaughlin Family Irish Stew Recipe

Last week I stopped by our local butcher as I was waiting on my husband to finish running some errands. The butcher had an offer that day for 1 pound of steak pieces for just 3 euros! I bought 2 pounds just because it was a great deal, but then couldn't figure out what to do with them. The next day it was cloudy, cold and dreary outside and all I wanted was a big bowl of stew... then it hit me! Irish Stew! I had yet to make this extremely popular dish but had been wanting to give it a try, so my father-in-law wrote out his family recipe and I was on my way.

The amazing thing about Irish Stew is the tradition. My father-in-law remembers his grandma cooking this exact recipe and my mother-in-law remembers her mom cooking in the old stone house (which we now use as sheds) in a cast iron pot hung over an open fire. I love that I'm now able to cook it and pass on this recipe to others. This recipe is obviously pretty standard because back then, they just threw what they had into a pot and cooked it over a fire. It was traditionally made with mutton because anyone who was lucky enough to have a lamb back in those days never would have butchered it due to the money they were able to get from the wool, and the fact that it could produce more sheep. Animals were butchered only when they were too old to be useful anymore so mutton, which wasn't sold because it was seen as 'peasant' meat, was all they had. I however made my stew with the steak pieces I had because I won't eat mutton or lamb, but you can use whatever you'd like. Any available root vegetables were thrown into the pot as well and soon enough you would have a hearty stew that would give plenty of energy to the men who were out digging turf all day, and to the women who had to run the household. They knew how to make the most out of the little they had to survive.


McLaughlin Family Irish Stew

2lbs cubed meat (beef, steak, mutton, lamb, etc.)
5 cups beef stock
6 carrots, sliced
8-10 medium potatoes, quartered
1 large onion
1-2 cups peas
A few stalks of celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
Swig of olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
Either a teaspoon of cornstarch OR a few extra boiled potatoes, mashed

You can also add turnips and a handful of barley if you'd like!

1. The day before, marinate the meat in a bit of balsamic vinegar (I used red wine vinegar and it turned out great too) and 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Let marinate overnight.
2. In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion until soft. Pour in the meat (vinegar and garlic too!) into the pot and brown the meat on all sides. 
3. Add in the stock, bay leaf, and the rest of the vegetables. 
   
4. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for a few hours, or until veggies are soft (but not too soft!)
5. To thicken, either add in the cornstarch mixed with a bit of water OR for a more authentic way to thicken, boil a couple extra potatoes and mash them well, mix in the mashed potatoes and cook another 20 minutes. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve with a bit of parsley sprinkled on top, a nice chunk of soda bread, and your favorite Irish drink to wash it all down!

**This is a GREAT recipe to freeze so make some extra! I have 2 giant tubs in the freezer right now!

Signs of Lambing

One of the first things I learned during lambing season was how to spot a ewe that was getting ready to give birth (or 'lamb') because no matter how much work you put into the farm the months before,  things can go disastrously wrong unless you familiarize yourself with the typical signs of impending birth. This is one of my favorite jobs on the farm. I love going out every few hours to walk around all of the fields during the day. If I see anything amiss, I'll report back to Steve and he'll tell me what to do... which is usually 'just wait and be patient' ;-)

There are many signs to look out for but these signs can vary from ewe to ewe. These signs usually mean that birth is imminent, but sometimes they can show signs days in advance. Some don't even show signs at all and will surprise you with a lamb the next time you're out to check!

• Days and sometimes even weeks before a ewe is going to lamb, her udder and teats will begin to fill out and distend. On some this is very obvious, but others can have much smaller udders that are hardly noticeable, even after birth, so this isn't a huge thing to look out for but is just something to keep in mind. 

  

  Extremely large udder and visible teats

• Her vulva will become dilated. This is a very obvious change because her back end will become quite red and will look swollen. This can also be an early sign however and can occur days to weeks before birth.

  

  Vulva is very pink and swollen

• Separating from other ewes is one of the main signs we look for first. When in the early stages of labor the ewe will begin to find an area away from the rest of the flock. Who wouldn't want their private time during that event?! Sometimes they can wander off to all corners of the farm and we have to go searching for them. I've heard stories of lambs having been born in some crazy places but luckily I haven't experienced this yet! We also keep an eye on the ewes that will leave the shed quickly after their feeding time. Most of them will hang around for quite a while and don't want to go back outside, but if they are in the early stages of labor they tend to leave right after breakfast.
• Pawing at the ground/turning around in circles/constantly laying down and then getting up again, acting restless and slightly bewildered in general. These are signs that she has found a good birthing location!
• Increased breathing. Most sheep have fairly slow and even breathing so it is pretty noticeable when one is breathing heavily just by watching their sides. 
• Another physical sign is the ewe's sides caving in. This usually means that the lamb has dropped into the birthing position so her sides, especially around her back hips, will become a bit sunken in.
• The most obvious sign is seeing the water bag. If we see the water bag we know lambing is usually minutes away (although if there are difficulties it can be hours). Sometimes if you look through the water bag you can even see little feet poking out!

  

  Water bag is out (This particular ewe had had a very large lamb and needed help delivering. It was the first lamb I delivered on my own!)

I'm sure there are other things to look for that work for other farmers but these are the main signs we tend to notice over and over again so this is what we stick to. We were lucky yesterday because right before we left the farm to head home Steve noticed a ewe turning around in circles so I ran over to check and sure enough there were two little feet out. She ended up needing help later on as the lamb had a very big head so Steve and I got her into the shed and delivered the lamb. She's a cutie!

Lamb born March 19th 2015 in the evening

The Beginning

 

All little girls dream of one day falling in love with their prince charming, a man from a far off place who will whisk you off your feet and carry you away to his castle to start an amazing life together. I always pictured myself in beautiful princess gowns, being able to walk outside and talk to the animals that would hurry up to greet me so we could spend the day frolicking in the forest. I admit... maybe I watched one too many Disney movies, but 5 year olds don't need to be reminded of reality. I was happy dreaming of my future life with my prince of a husband.

Fast forward 20 or so years and thanks to the wonders of technology, here I am in Ireland instead of the US where I grew up, married to my incredible husband who loves me unconditionally. I've traded in my dream of gorgeous gowns for ripped up jeans and "Wellies", and instead of a castle I'm living on a 200 year old farm where my husband farms sheep. If you would have told my 5 year old self that all of this was going to happen when she grew up, she definitely wouldn't have believed you. She wouldn't have believed you 10 years ago even! But right now I'm living my fairy tale in the breathtaking Irish countryside with my sheep farming prince and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is a blog about my adventures in starting a new way of life after after I fell in love with a certain Irishman. It's about discovering a new country and an entirely different culture after leaving behind my family, my country, and the only city I've ever lived in. It's about a city girl learning to live in the middle of nowhere (where the shops close by 6pm and NOTHING is open on Sundays!). I'm sure there will be many stories, a ton of laughter, and probably even a few tears, but I'd like to invite you to come along and enjoy with me every step of the way.