It's that time of year!

[BCSnob]

I stepped out of the back door this morning on my way to work and heard the sound of a lamb calling to its mom. My wife texted me saying the ewe had not delivered her second lamb yet; so the cries I heard were from a new born.

We bred about 60 ewes.

[BCSnob]

Due to issues with getting new Rams we do not know which ram sired each lamb. Because we don't want to breed daughters to sires we will not be keeping any of this year's lambs. We have enough adult ewes for next year.

[Little_Kopit]

How many lambs will be part of the breeding flock next year?

:B

[BCSnob]

8 lambs will require suplimental bottle feeding which is more intensive farming than we want. We want pasture raised and if lambing later would still yield the right sized lambs in late October we would lamb on pasture.



Holes are dug, plants have been delivered, now we're just waiting for planting day.

[ridingfamily4]

did everyone see this story? Sheep gives birth to Octuplets (8) lambs!
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/04/09/Minnesota-sheep-has-lamb-octuplets/4101428592832/

[BCSnob]

She talked about popping a bottle open in celebration, but we're too focused upon getting ready for the tree/shrub planting on Saturday.

I watched lamb races yesterday (in a different location on our farm) that I want to record the next chance I get. It reminded me of events in a half-pipe but with a mob instead of one at a time.

After about one month we have increased from 88 sheep to 210 sheep on the farm, just in time for the spring grass.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

You and your wife HAVE to be thinking "Finally! Whew!!"

[Uppercrust]

Aww they are cute!

[BCSnob]

Here they are, the last set of lambs.


8 sets of triplets
44 sets of twins
22 singles
11 died at birth or within a week
1 ewe and her twins died due to birthing issues

123 live lambs
75 ewes out of 75 have lambed

[BCSnob]

8 sets of triplets
43 sets of twins
22 singles
11 died at birth or within a week
1 ewe and her twins died due to birthing issues

121 live lambs
74 ewes out of 75 have lambed

[BCSnob]

There was a new single this afternoon; one ewe left to go (ear tag #008).

[BCSnob]

Shepherdess let me know there is a new set of twins.

8 sets of triplets
43 sets of twins
21 singles
11 died at birth or within a week
1 ewe and her twins died due to birthing issues

120 live lambs
73 ewes out of 75 have lambed

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

BCSnob wrote:


Most of the 800 holes for the tree and shrub planting were drilled this weekend. There were locations the tracked machine could not get to due to soft-wet ground. We were told to plan on being able to park 40 cars. We've seen ads in the local paper and ads on-line for the planting event. Hopefully, the forecast for rain Tuesday through Friday night will not bring too much making our parking field too soft for cars.

WOW!!!! This is pretty cool! Instant forest!

[BCSnob]

8 sets of triplets
42 sets of twins
21 singles
11 died at birth or within a week
1 ewe and her twins died due to birthing issues

118 live lambs
72 ewes out of 75 have lambed

Most of the 800 holes for the tree and shrub planting were drilled this weekend. There were locations the tracked machine could not get to due to soft-wet ground. We were told to plan on being able to park 40 cars. We've seen ads in the local paper and ads on-line for the planting event. Hopefully, the forecast for rain Tuesday through Friday night will not bring too much making our parking field too soft for cars.

[BCSnob]

Spent 30min looking for one of the Easter twins. When we fed the ewes grain at 7pm one twin was not with the ewe. We eventually found it in another field by a large rock. I had driven by that rock several times but they third time the lamb was up and calling. My guess is it was hard asleep the first times I drove by.