Lamb time
This year's lamb (I say this because I think he will be the only one) arrived this morning. When Gary put the sheep out, he noticed that Jetta was lagging a bit, standing in a corner and making what he calls the "mama sound" that a ewe calls her lamb with. It's a sort of soft "Ba'a'a'a'a" noise. But she seemed willing enough to go out in the sun and went on out after the others. Fortunately he checked on her an hour later, after I was at work. Sure enough, she had a little black ram lamb, still wet, and she was licking it.
So he ran the other sheep back into the barn, and of course this time she didn't follow but stayed with the lamb. He went ahead and prepared the "lambing jug," a small pen to isolate new moms with their babies for a couple of days so they get bonded tightly before rejoining the flock. Then he went and picked up the lamb and carried it to the pen before letting Jetta into the barn. He showed her a dish of sheep chow and put it into the pen with the lamb and she went right in, no fuss. It's always been an ordeal in the past getting her in there, but I guess she remembered this time that she got all the choice food to herself during her time in the small pen.
I was sure she was going to have twins, but apparently not. I was over at The Fold this afternoon for a spinning study group and I asked Toni. She says sometimes twin lambs are born hours or even days apart, but it's fairly unusual for that to happen. She just thinks mom is fat, which is quite possible. She also has a nice coat of wool on at the moment.
This is the second time that Jetta has had her lamb at mid-morning while outdoors. All our other lambs have been born at night, during the dark hours, and were already up and hopping around when we found them She was an orphan and didn't quite get it the first time around, but has been an excellent mother ever since. This little guy is her fifth. We don't really need any more sheep, and I'd gladly give a few away if anyone wanted them. But most people who are interested in sheep are interested in lamb chops and prefer the large breeds. All of ours are "miniatures", ideal for a spinner's flock and easy to manage, but not much meat on them. They do have nice soft wool, though, and Jetta's is a lovely charcoal gray now.
More snow is still on the forecast for tonight. They are saying 2 to 4 inches overnight, with rising temperatures. That's the sort of forecast that can turn out to be a foot, or turn out to be ice or rain instead of white stuff. Have to wait and see. There's something out there to the west, though, and it looks so big on the radar that I don't think it will miss us no matter what it turns into.
So he ran the other sheep back into the barn, and of course this time she didn't follow but stayed with the lamb. He went ahead and prepared the "lambing jug," a small pen to isolate new moms with their babies for a couple of days so they get bonded tightly before rejoining the flock. Then he went and picked up the lamb and carried it to the pen before letting Jetta into the barn. He showed her a dish of sheep chow and put it into the pen with the lamb and she went right in, no fuss. It's always been an ordeal in the past getting her in there, but I guess she remembered this time that she got all the choice food to herself during her time in the small pen.
I was sure she was going to have twins, but apparently not. I was over at The Fold this afternoon for a spinning study group and I asked Toni. She says sometimes twin lambs are born hours or even days apart, but it's fairly unusual for that to happen. She just thinks mom is fat, which is quite possible. She also has a nice coat of wool on at the moment.
This is the second time that Jetta has had her lamb at mid-morning while outdoors. All our other lambs have been born at night, during the dark hours, and were already up and hopping around when we found them She was an orphan and didn't quite get it the first time around, but has been an excellent mother ever since. This little guy is her fifth. We don't really need any more sheep, and I'd gladly give a few away if anyone wanted them. But most people who are interested in sheep are interested in lamb chops and prefer the large breeds. All of ours are "miniatures", ideal for a spinner's flock and easy to manage, but not much meat on them. They do have nice soft wool, though, and Jetta's is a lovely charcoal gray now.
More snow is still on the forecast for tonight. They are saying 2 to 4 inches overnight, with rising temperatures. That's the sort of forecast that can turn out to be a foot, or turn out to be ice or rain instead of white stuff. Have to wait and see. There's something out there to the west, though, and it looks so big on the radar that I don't think it will miss us no matter what it turns into.