We usually let ewes begin lambing in the large pen, with the other expectant ewes. After the first lamb is born, The Farmer will let her care for it for a few minutes. Then he will go in and pick up the lamb (or lambs, if he's arrived after multiple births) and move slowly out of the large pen. In this case, the lamb is the bait that makes the ewe move, too. She is very concerned about her lamb, and will follow closely, calling out the whole time. The ewe and her lamb(s) are placed in a small lambing pen, called a jug. I have no idea why they are called jugs. If anyone knows the origin of that term, I'd love to know. They are kept there for 1-3 days to ensure that they bond, and that the ewe is caring for her lambs well. No distractions. We set up a whole row of temporary jugs during lambing time. This is one of our hay storage areas, so we need to be sure that we've used most of this hay up before lambing begins. After their time in the lambing jugs, the ewe...
Wonderful photos, reminds me of South Dakota!
ReplyDeletewow! how beautiful! she really does have an eye for such things!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like driving by one of those fields of sunflowers, either. I had a hummingbird find my single sunflower already!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful pics!! Your dd does have a talent for photography. What will you do with your whole field of sunflowers? (showing my ignorance here but I'm curious) In personal news, my dh was offered a JOB yesterday! It's local, it's stable, and it's a rich blessing after 9 trying months. I knew you'd want to know so you can rejoice with us!
ReplyDelete