Warning!

In Central Victoria, the sheep grazier’s warning has been on high repeat recently, with chilling winds and harsh weather conditions predicted to continue. This warning urges the “good shepherd” to fulfil their duty and protect pregnant and lambing ewes—a precaution the public rightly expects true good shepherds to inherently take.

Although logistical challenges, legislative gaps and accepted industry norms mean that losses of lambs and mother sheep are often justified as inevitable, what is currently playing out brutally across the state speaks of a tragic and senseless loss of life. This severe weather is fuelling hypothermia and pneumonia outbreaks, while poor feed quality and availability have further impacted ewe and lamb health and survival rates.

Against this backdrop, Dacia’s birth was always going to be fraught with difficulty and stress. This was incredibly evident by her orange appearance at birth, something that was lovingly rubbed away to a more mellow yellow as we desperately worked to raise her body temperature to one our thermometer could even read.

So why orange, you ask?

Normally protected by a sac of amniotic fluid, lambs pass their first faecal matter, meconium*, within a few days of birth. However, Dacia’s mother, weakened in both body and spirit, could not fulfill her instinct to expel her lamb. This caused the meconium to pass and mix with the amniotic fluid, covering Dacia in this orange hue.

The warning that comes with this situation is the risk to the unborn lamb of aspiration by way of inhaling the contaminated fluid. While the number of lambs who suffer this fate each year is unknown, the presence of predators ready to seize the opportunity adds to the tragedy.

With good fortune shining on the defiant Dacia, she survived her traumatic birth. Alas, the fate of her mother remains unknown. While her now-yellow tinge will eventually fade and leave no harm, the memory of her struggle remains.

While one may lament how unkind the world can be when the warnings of impending doom are ignored, Dacia’s story is a testament to human kindness. An ever-poignant reminder that we can spare animals suffering and death by simply leaving them off our plate, and keeping them where they truly belong—in our hearts.

*Meconium is made up of materials ingested prior to birth and is the first faecal matter produced by mammals. It has no odour and is thick, sticky and tar-like in colour and consistency. It is generally passed in the first few days post-birth and is a welcome sign that the newborn’s digestive system is functioning as it should.