Jubilee the Valais Blacknose x Teeswater lamb
Born March 14 at Wing & A Prayer Farm, 4th out of five lambs born to her mama, a Teeswater ewe named ‘June.’ Jubilee’s father came to the United States as a frozen straw of semen from a Valais Blacknose Ram from New Zealand. Her mom, June, had been Artificially Inseminated, laparoscopically, in November of 2019. June had a normal pregnancy until she suffered a prolapse prior to lambing and went into labor 2 weeks early. We did not know she was bearing quintuplets, or we probably would have known why she’d suffered from the prolapse complication as well as modified her diet and anticipated lambing to be more complicated. Jubilee was the only lamb that survived birth and June had an infection and tears to repair after she’d had her. It was a serious ordeal which she’d gone through and so we worked very hard to help her recover. June has fully recovered and is living a good life with the other sheep but has no maternal interest in Jubilee.
Jubilee was about 4 pounds when she was born and couldn’t hold herself up. She spent her first moments being swung by the legs to help clear her lungs and get her heart pumping, then rushed into the house where she was put in the oven to warm up, kept swaddled and drops of colostrum were fed to her to help her get started. Soon we were able to give her a bottle but for the first week, she slept in a small crate next to Farmer Tam’s bed at night with a heat lamp above her to stay warm. Eventually she outgrew her milk crate and upgraded to a full blown playpen in the family room of the farm house for sleeping. She wore diapers and snuggled on the dog bed in the living room and cuddled up by the fireside at night to relax with the family that she had imprinted on in the house.
As Jubilee became healthier, she was able to spend time outdoors more and to follow Farmer Tam and her dog companions, Cricket and Nessie, around the farm to do chores. By 3 months old, Jubilee is now a robust and healthy lamb, though she still drank a bottle of milk a few times a day, but she had learned to eat all of the things that the other lambs eat and she transitioned to sleeping in the barn at night. Her favorite things to do are to be with those she loves as she is very social, run around with the farm dogs, have a snooze on the front porch under the swing, and to get a good back rub.
As of spring, 2021, Jubilee has fully integrated with the other sheep, after a gradual transition and the focus has been on keeping her as healthy as possible.
Jubilee’s story has been heartwarming and inspiring for many who have followed her trials and tribulations. Her arrival, coinciding with the Coronavirus Pandemic, has offered a positive message of strength and determination in a time of uncertainty, and her delightful adventures have kept all of our spirits a little bit brighter. She has cheered many through her online interactions, helping to bring entertainment and good wishes to folks through Zoom meetings, videos and photographs. Farmer Tam assists her with the technology, of course, and for Jubilee, she is welcome to wander if she gets bored. But she is remarkably quite interested to visit with her fans online.
Her Zoom Birthday Party on March 14, 2021, was well attended by fans and celebrities all over the world.
Jubilee, now a mature ewe, is part of our Valais Blacknose Upbreeding program and is expecting a 100% Valais Blacknose lamb in Spring of 2022. You KNOW there’s gonna be a baby shower!
