Dear friends,
As advertised, lambing commenced on Monday the 14th, keeping us very busy ... and tired! Of 9 ewes bred in August, 8 deliveries produced 17 lambs, maintaining our 2+ lamb / ewe average. We are hopeful the final ewe will deliver in 10 days as she was likely "covered" in the second cycle. In the meantime, she is really enjoying the extra grain and second-cutting hay, so she may be ushered outside for a week-long fitness program to maintain her weight. The group was very nocturnal this year, with ~80% of the lambs born at 4:30 AM on average.
Fortunately, my best helper, Lauren returned home from Boston to assist!! As always her experience, instincts and compassion were invaluable to make the right call on how to handle each situation.
Over the frigid, blizzard weekend, we felt like a combination of the "4077 MASH" performing triage and Sir Admiral Byrd's team discovering the South Pole. The favorite farm implements were an amazon delivery box and Cyndi's hairdryer to warm 3 hypothermic lambs. An amazing process if you can stomach watching and are patient. The three lucky recipients of our best medical care are thriving in the much warmer garage, which of course is now flooding with the rain!! In total, due to a set of triplets and other issues, we have 7 voracious bottle feeders.
Unfortunately, the past 10 days was also painful as we lost two lambs, one stillborn and the other never quite right from the start. With two losses, we are below the average mortality rate of 15% for another year, fingers crossed for keeping them well through weaning.
Thank you to the many helpers who stopped by to lend a hand !
Lastly, the chickens have the best situation in this cold weather thanks to my fellow farmer Tony P. who donated a heater for their coop. As a result, production is up!! Please let us know if you would like eggs.
Fun fact: Lambs are born during the winter for various reasons. 1) Sheep are seasonal breeders, meaning that their ‘estrus cycle’, the time period when they are receptive to mate’ is determined by photo-period or length of the day/night. Sheep are short day/long night breeders meaning they breed late summer/early fall and consequently their lambs are born in the winter and spring. 2) During the winter, the pasture that sheep normally eat is dormant. This means that the sheep are primarily feeding on hay and grain which is most often kept down at a barn, where it is also safer to lamb and when the farmer is around more often to monitor birth and take care of lambs. 3) Winter lambing also corresponds with the market demands for sheep products ... think Easter lamb !
Have a good rest of your week !
Harry, Lauren and Harry
