# 1 STILL # 1

Every species has it's own way of competing for the top ranking position. Bulls butt heads over their lady cows. Male dogs pee on everything. Squirrels run around darting here and there to see who can gather the most nuts.  

BUT, I had no idea the ewes had a contest going on to see who could have the biggest lamb.

# 1 was in the process of lambing and having some trouble with it when I came in yesterday to feed. The lambs head was out and I could see by that, this lamb was BIG! ! 1 is one of our smaller ewes so that was not a good sign.

Usually with big lambs if the head is finally out the rest of the lamb follows with ease. I got right in helping her and discovered that the problem was the lambs chest. It was to large to deliver straight. So working carefully I turned the lamb at an angle and worked one shoulder through at a time.

Mom stop with the cleaning, I'm trying to walk here.

DAW-A-DAW! Lamb is delivered and alive.  #1 has delivered after some work a 15 pound ram lamb.

I know, I know you are saying,"Wait a minute Shepherd, # 8 just had a 15 pounder a couple days ago. How does that make # 1 the # 1 ewe?"

Mom look what you did to my hair, how embarrassing 

Simple, it says it right on her back. See right there in orange wool safe, animal safe paint.  

# 1 and her 2013 Spring ram lamb

BOY!! He is all boy

Went into the barn this morning to do the morning chore and all the time thinking to myself how I would use the front pen to sort some ewes out of my way. Not at all thinking about any new baby lambs. I had given up on # 8 lambing soon. I had started about two weeks ago saying she was going to lamb soon because of the size she was getting. She is a Spring ewe and not very big yet in highth.  But, not so in belly, her belly just kept getting bigger and bigger. I told everyone she is either lambing soon or having twins ( that was what I had been saying back two weeks ago). 

SO, arrived not thinking of lambs and there was a lamb in the front pen. At first I thought one of the other lambs got in by mistake but I soon realized it was # 8's lamb. Yes, she finally lambed and it was not twins. Thank God! because this guy weighed in at 15 pounds. Mommy Ewe and baby doing great.

# 8 and her 2013 ram lamb

A BIG BOY! weighing in at 15 pounds at birth

Need I say that I did not get to use the front pen to sort ewes, since it was being occupied at the moment.

A little Bit of Spring

The Sun came out in our area today. Not something we see much of not even in the Spring. But is was a welcoming and much needed sight. I thought it would be a great day to let the new lambs and their moms out on the big pasture for their first taste of that delicious green Spring grasses. 

Because we don't want them to have to much to soon and all end up with the scours, the plan was to only let them out for about an hour. 

But what an hour it turned out to be. I think we attracted more attention then the annual parade. Much deserved attention too. After all is there not anything as cute as a new lamb running and jumping on the fresh green grass on a warm Spring day. 
I say no-sir-e-bob there's not.

You clean it...We mess it.

Well it never seems to fail as soon as we clean the barn a ewe will lamb. We had just finished cleaning Friday and run to town to sign some papers. We stopped by the store and I stated to my husband, "I think we better stop and check on the ewes before heading home."

 Sure enough we found number 11 had gone into labor and had lambed a beautiful ewe lamb. Now number 11 is the last of our horned ewes to lamb and I was so pleased to find that it was a ewe lamb. We are planing on keeping all the horned ewe lambs, all 2 of them and one of the ram lambs for breeding. The rest of our lambs will be sold as market lambs.

# 11 and her 2013 ewe lamb

We have 3 polled ewes left to lamb. NO! I don't plan on cleaning the barn everyday for the next three days. It is to hard since we have the lambing pens up all the cleaning has to be done by hand.

What we like to see up nursing and not even 30 minutes old

Fridays are Barn Cleaning Day...

SHEW-WEE something stinks around here!!

Hey ! Shepherd I think you need to clean the barn. 

She's right and we are not having these lambs till you do!

MOM!! It's not me, it's the barn. 

Yes, just look at my knees. Can you see them ... cause I can't but they feel dirty.
I am so embarrassed, is any one looking, tell me please I can't see I have to much wool over my eyes. Someone please, my my my! 

Note from Shepherd: OK, the barn was dirty but, it is Friday and it gets cleaned on Fridays. So all is clean and everyone is happy again. 

Are You Getting Tired of Lamb Announcements Yet?

This last week's trips to the barn has been like waking up on Christmas morning and making your way down the stair to see whats under the Christmas tree. You just know something great awaits you there.

Today it was number 5 and her new ram lamb. #5 is a Polled Dorset and all our Polled Dorset ewes were breed to a Hampshire ram. Hampshire's have black hair on their faces and legs, were as the Dorset's have white.  With this cross breeding you get what is called freckled lambs, lambs with spots and dark markings.

# 5 and her 2013 ram lamb

What is great about this is each lamb looks different. There are not any two a like.

Today's little lamb is grey and brown instead of black and white. He has a lot of freckles.  He's so cute, but then I think every lamb is cute. It is so nice to be so right.

# 5's 2013 grey and brown freckled ram lamb

What Two??

The new baby was up on his feet nursing. Mamma was taking good care of him and looked to be in no distress she had already lost her placenta. I had checked her for twins and that she was not bleeding heavily, we were good to go.  I double checked the five ewes that we had left to lamb, they were fine no one was going to lamb over night. Maybe I'd get a little sleep. So we left the barn about 2 to 3 hours after # 10 had her ram lamb.

Mondays the boys have late start, so I figured I'd go over to the Sheep Camp after dropping them off at school. I stopped first at the ram's pen to feed them before heading to the barn.

Eileen, the owners wife pulled in behind me, "I seen your post about our new little lamb, he looks great." she states. "So we have 5 lambs on one side of the barn and 3 on the other side?"

"No," I reply as I am counting in my head each lamb.

"Yes, you do. There is 3 black faced lambs on one side and a lamb in each pen on the other side except for the last pen has two."

"Are you sure? Because that doesn't add up."

We quickly head to the barn to see why we have an extra lamb. I was thinking maybe one of the ewes who were left to lamb, lambed in the night and some how their lamb had gotten into the wrong pen.

BUT! we soon found this was not the case. It turned out # 10 was not finished lambing after all. By the best of my knowledge it looks as though sometime in the wee hours of the following morning she delivered her second lamb. I am glad to report with no obvious problems. Both lambs and mamma are doing great.      
                             SURPRISE!!

SURPRISE!! # 10's Second 2013 ram lamb

Two for the price of one deal

I told you everything was OK and to come on out.
What took you so long?