Special Delivery...

Now before you think that the UPS driver risked life and limb in "the blizzard of the year" to deliver these packages, I must confess that these were delivered on Monday and Tuesday but I didn't get around to opening them until today...

To the untrained eye, it may appear that someone in our household has un unhealthy relationship with the Home Shopping Network, but in reality this is just another sign that lambing season is quickly approaching...

As a kid, I always loved getting packages in the mail, and I must still be a kid at heart because to this day it feels a little like Christmas when I have a box to open.  Forget the fact that I just ordered the stuff last week...  I still find suprises (likely because of the brain cells that succumbed to red wine poisoning over the weekend).

I received my needles and syringes from American Livestock Supply...  For the sheep, we use the 3, 6, and 12 cc syringes as well as 18 and 20 gauge 3/4" needles.  I prefer the syringes with the Luer Lock tips - they have a "screw-on" type system that really help to keep the needles from pulling off...

I ordered Ivermectin Horse Wormers and Sheep Nutri-Drench from Valley Vet Supply.  The Nutri-Drench is an oral Vitamin and Mineral supplement for newborn or "down" lambs and it provides INSTANT energy.  It is great for lambs born on very cold days.

I received two boxes of products from Pipestone Veterinary Supply.  We usually order stuff from them a few times during the year...  I am suprised they don't send us a Christmas Card?!??!?

We received a 25# bag of Pipestone's Lamb Milk Replacer...  I really think this is an exceptional product and highly recommend it to other shepherds.  We hope that we don't have to use it, but it is something you can't wait for if you end up needing it so it makes sense to have a bag on hand.

We also bought a tub of Nursemate which is a "first milk" or "colostrum" replacer...  Again hoping NOT to use it!

There are two bottle nipples...  I think I mentioned that we "LENT" some out last year and they were never replaced.  They are pretty cheap so it is no big deal, but it just irks me when people don't follow through - (I know, get over it already Rich!!!)

We received a 2# bag of Deccox which we will mix in with our mineral to try to minimize the Coccidia in the barn during lambing (terrible tiny parasites that can cause diarrhea and possibly death in lambs).

There is a bottle of Iodine Spray for wounds and possibly newborn lamb navels...

AND for the first time this year...  A HUGE bottle of Chlorhexidine which is a very effective disinfectant that is gentle on the skin and safe.  Many shepherds are starting to use this in place of Iodine for navels as well as for disinfecting lambing tools, tattooing equipment, ear tags, and the like.  This is also used in human mouthwash so it must be relatively safe.  The more disinfected I can get, the better...  maybe I had better order some bleach!

When it comes to having animals, I think you need to work and hope for the best case scenario, but plan and order supplies for the worst case scenario.  Afterall, you don't need to be a Boy Scout to be prepared!!!!