I was with her when she was born, and I was with her as she died. She was five years old and had given us 6 healthy lambs in the past 2 years. She was daughter to Rose and Joe Pye Weed, and was head-ewe-in-waiting. A real loss for our farm.
Coral Bell had suffered enough, and was euthanized today at 12 noon. The vet came and immediately agreed she was in constant suffering, and was not going to recover from her ordeal. She also most likely had a torn uterus and liver damage. I spent 2 hours in her stall last night, and pretty much thought she would be dead when I came out in the morning. But she was still hanging on, groaning with every breath. It was gut wrenching to watch.
I let Audrey, her 2 year old daughter, and mother-to-be any day, come in the stall this morning. She sniffed around Coral, and then casually left. Coral had not bleated since she went down on Thursday, but when Audrey left the stall, Coral turned her head, obviously painful, and let out a very weak bleat. It was beyond touching.
We will bury her next to her three triplets on the lavender hill.
In the meantime, the vet induced Rosie, and has hopes for her recovery. We will hope too. He also gave me a big, kind pep talk which I greatly needed.
Some crusty old guy once said to me, "Life and old age aren't for sissies. Neither's farming."
