Lambing season has a way of humbling you fast.
One minute you’re feeling pretty confident, thinking, Wow, I’ve got this, and the next minute you’re staring at a situation that makes your stomach drop because—once again—the animals did not read the handbook.
This is the story of our breech lamb. And yes, it took at least five years off my life.
What “Breech” Actually Means (In Normal-People Terms)
A breech lamb is coming out backward instead of the nice, polite two-hooves-and-a-nose presentation everyone hopes for.
You might see:
Back legs
A tail
Hips hanging out like they pay rent
The danger with a breech birth is that once those hips are out, the umbilical cord can be compressed. Translation: you are officially on a time limit, and standing there saying “oh no” repeatedly does not help.
Our Real-Life Breech Experience
During our last lambing season, we had an ewe who went into labor and decided to get things started without me. By the time I got out there, she had already delivered her first lamb—a beautiful little ewe lamb—just perfect, up and thriving.
I was feeling pretty good about life. Then the ewe turned around, and that’s when I saw the second lamb being born breech.
Remember in my kidding season post when I said to make sure you can actually get to your medical bag quickly?
Yeah.
This is exactly why.
The lamb was coming out slowly—back legs, tail, and hips already hanging out. Mama was trying to lay down, and with that much lamb already outside, I didn’t want her accidentally laying on those back legs and causing even more problems.
As she started to go down, I supported the back end of the baby. Important note: I did not pull. She wasn’t ready to push yet, and pulling before a contraction can do real damage.
Then she gave one big push.
That’s when I pulled.
Baby was out.
And… nothing.
No movement.
No breathing.
What to Do When a Breech Lamb Isn’t Breathing
This is where knowing what to do—and having your supplies handy—matters.
Immediately:
Clear the nose and mouth
Use a bulb syringe to suction fluids
Rub vigorously to stimulate breathing and when I say vigorously, I mean like you are personally offended by this situation.
It felt like hours went by. The ewe looked at this baby, decided he wasn’t doing much at the moment, and went back to tending her other lamb. Honestly, fair.
I stayed with this baby, rubbing, suctioning, talking to him like that might help.
And finally—finally—he lifted his head and let out the loudest bleat for his mama.
I have never been so happy to hear someone yell.
“Won’t the Ewe Reject Him?”
You’ll hear people say that if you handle a lamb too much, the ewe won’t take it back because of your scent.
Let me tell you—this ewe did not care one bit.
The second she heard him cry, she came right over, nuzzled him, and cleaned him up the rest of the way like she’d been waiting for her cue. He nursed, bonded, and now walks around like nothing dramatic ever happened… while I’m still emotionally processing it.
What this breech birth taught me, always have your medical bag accessible.
Don’t pull unless the ewe is actively pushing breech births move fast once they move—be ready. Lambs are tougher than we give them credit for.
Ewes often know exactly what’s theirs, no matter how much help you gave.
The Takeaway
Breech births are stressful, messy, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. But with calm hands, basic knowledge, and a little stubborn determination, they can turn out just fine.
The ram lamb? Healthy.
Nursing.
Running around like he didn’t cause a full-blown emotional event.
And me?
I’ll just be over here reminding myself—once again—that homesteading is willingly signing up for moments you didn’t know your heart could handle, followed immediately by one that makes it all worth it. It’s straw in places it shouldn’t be, whispering “please breathe” to a lamb you already love, and then laughing at yourself once it’s over. It’s messy, loud, exhausting… and somehow the most meaningful, heart-full life I can imagine and yes, I know there will be births that don’t always have a happy ending, but when there is those are the ones you want to remember.
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