How to "Squeeze" a Leslie: a Lamb Reborn

May 2023

This little ram lamb, named Leslie, was born this month to our devoted ewe, Puff. We didn't see the birth, but something wasn't right when we found them. Puff had delivered twins; one was stillborn and the other was weak and lethargic. He would stand and nose around mom for a birt, but he couldn't figure out how to nurse and really just wanted to curl up and go back to sleep. We moved them to the barn where we could watch them more closely. Our lovely nieghbors came over to help us milk Puff and hand feed Leslie with a small syringe. We tried to coax him to nurse over and over again, while Puff stood motionless, clearly understanding what we were trying to do. But little Leslie just hated it; he kept turning his head away and falling asleep.

The Madigan Squeeze

On the third day of hand feeding little Leslie, we were able to connect with our vet. Because we live on a small island, farm visits are a bit hard to schedule. He made time to call at the end of the day and explore options over the phone. We could continue to milk mom and feed the lamb with a stomach tube, hoping for the best. Or, he asked, "have you ever heard of the Madigan Squeeze? You could try that. Just google it and watch videos online."

Developed by Dr. John Madigan out of UCDavis to treat "dummy" foals and calves, the theory is that you can simulate the birthing process over again to help the newborn "wake up." During birth, the brain keeps the baby in a sleep-like state so they stay relaxed and immobile; once born, the brain signals for her to "wake up." Sometimes the signal just doesn't happen, which seemed to be Leslie's situation.

Our daughters, Maya and Joslin, did the research and jumped into action. They wrapped a rope around his tiny body, across his chest and around his torso, and then slowly tightened it until he slipped into a gentle sleep, like he would be in the birth canal. After 10 minutes, we removed the rope, left him sleeping on the ground, and walked away. With the release of pressure, he started to wake up after about 20 minutes. Puff walked over and nudged him with her foot to encourage him to stand. We all ran back outside to witness Leslie lift himself to his feet and start prancing around. For the first time in his little life, he ran to mom, followed her around the paddock, and within the hour was nursing on his own like a champ.

A Lamb Reborn

Puff is one of our most stoic ewes in the flock. It is a miracle that she let us milk her and put hands all over her and Leslie for 3 days while we worked to save his life. The emotional capacity of animals is profound and we were so blessed to be connected with them in this way. Now Puff is back to her old self, fiercely protecting Leslie and ensuring we keep a safe distance from them both. His weight gain has been tremendous; no looking back for him! But we will never forget this experience as we continue to learn about shepherding and what it takes to accompany this beautiful flock.