What a crummy day.
Yesterday we moved our chicks and ducks out to the big coup, but this morning my in-laws called to say that they found 10 dead chickens in the coup-yard. Apparently, the chicks went out the coup door and couldn't get back in. With the rain and a bit of a drop in temperature, they couldn't keep their body temperature up.
Once I got that call, I realized how cool it had gotten, and went out to check on my sheep. Emerald was in the tall grass not moving. She'd been struggling with parasites and anemia, but had seemed stronger over the weekend. Dave (FIL) and I had to use the riding mower to get her into the barn. I warmed her up with towels, a heater, a heat lamp and a blow dryer, but she wasn't really responding.
The vet came out and said that pneumonia had also set in, and so at her recommendation, I decided to put her down. I feel terrible. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I should have locked her in the barn last night. I just took it for granted that she was stronger than she really was.
Now we have two little orphan lambs, but they're 8 weeks old now capable of weaning. It's just sad to see them out there without their mom. And I'll really miss Emerald; she was a wonderful, sweet ewe, a great mother and had an excellent fleece.