Fairlight Jeffrey

Fairlight Jeffrey April 21, 2003 -- May 14, 2010

Jeff came up sick over the weekend a few weeks ago. His primary symptoms were shuffling walk, head held down and no ability to eat. After five days of supportive care, vet and fellow shepherd's advice and using the 'shotgun' approach to try and address as many potential issues as possible, Jeff died.

Jeff and his twin brother Callum were the picture of health--fat and sassy and seemingly doing fine, so it was a shock to have this happen. While they are seven this year, I didn't consider that very old for the little tough Shetlands. I'm mystified about what happened.

Jeff and Cal came here 'in utero' after I bought their mom, Willow and another ewe lamb, Rain, to begin my Shetland flock. Working with their breeder, she let me board the girls through the summer and fall so that I wouldn't need to keep a ram the first year. Jeffrey and Callum were the first Shetland's born here. Over the years Jeff gave me four daughters, and many, many sons. Unfortunately I never kept one of his ewe lambs. This past year I was hoping he would give me a pretty little grey ewe lamb, but alas, he produced only rams for his last lamb crop.

Jeff and Cal were both rams until they were about three, then Callum became a monster and had an important appointment with the vet. Not long thereafter he and Jeff got into a battle (the little snots fought all the time) and Jeff got Cal down. Someday I'll post Callum's story --of his probable fractured spine and the recovery that followed. Eventually the brothers were reunited and have been pasture buds most of their lives.

As you can imagine, this has left Callum bewildered and very upset. He was near during the time that Jeff was ill, with only a cattle panel to separate them. He dutifully stayed close, coming back from the grass when Jeff would baa at him. The last evening though, Cal wandered off and I knew by the way he was acting and the way that Jeff was responding to things that his time was near.

After Jeff passed, the problem of Cal became my main focus. Callum knew that Jeff died, and was at quite a loss. Letting the girls down to graze near him in the evening helped a little. Finally I decided that I would give Cal three or four days to adjust to not having Jeff around and then I would attempt to move him in with the ewes. Cal was a ram for three years and has a full headrack so I have some concerns with how he will interact with the flock.

Cal is now in with the ewes, and like any new kid, he tries hard to keep up and figure out what is going on. Because of his horns, I had no fear anyone would pick on him. So far, other than a few words with Blue across the fence and half heartedly chasing a few ewes around he has done well. The ewes were mortified and didn't want a thing to do with him at first. After a few days though they have mellowed. Strangely enough Cal has attached himself mostly to his mom, Willow and stays pretty near to her, despite her initial dismay.

So for now he is with the ewes, and seems to be doing okay. I catch him once in a while standing in the corner of the paddock by himself staring down at his and Jeff's old home. If he gets too dorky in the fall, by then I'll have some wethers old enough to make up a wether flock for him.

So it goes. We miss you Jeff.