Lambing Season Begins

My due date for the first lambs is February 28, but just like with people you can’t predict exactly when those babies will come. I was surprised by the first one that was six days early (blog post here). Since then I’ve been checking the barn late at night and early in the morning but there has been no more action…until yesterday.

BFL x Jacob ewe with new lamb

Addy was the first to lamb yesterday around noon. Addy is a BFL x Jacob ewe who I kept because of her personality (and nice fleece). She is a big ewe and this lamb is 12.4 pounds! That is three times the size of that 4.2 pound lamb born six days ago. She wasn’t finished but I had to get to a vet appointment with my cat.

Orange cat on my lap at the vet

Sunny has been diagnosed with diabetes and requires a special diet and insulin injections twice a day.

BFLxJacob newborn lambs nursing

Back home, Addy had her second lamb. A 50:50 cross with a Jacob usually results in black lambs. These lambs are 75% Jacob and one lamb is black and one is white.

Daffodil flowers

To and from the house and the barn I walk by daffodils. I noticed that I have two varieties here. The darker one bloomed a few days before the lighter one and there are a lot more buds from the light one still to open.

Back to the barn around 11 p.m. Anise was lambing. She ended up with two BFL-X lambs.

Jacob ewe and newborn lamb

Dilly had her lamb during the night and it was up and nursing when I saw it from the house on my barn camera.

Newborn Jacob lamb

I was in a Zoom meeting when Dan came in to report a ewe lambing and another ewe trying to claim the lamb. This is Jade with her single lamb.

Border collie keeping rams away,

While I was waiting for another ewe to lamb, Dan asked if Ginny and I could help keep the rams away while he moved some panels around in the ram pen so that he can start to repair it. The three ram lambs aren’t an issue, but Rambler is a little too friendly for us to feel save around him.

Fence destroyed by Jacob rams.

This is an example of what rams can do to a traditional fence. Those are “hog panels” which are usually very strong.

Newborn Jacob lamb nursing

Back at the barn, Jade’s lamb was up and nursing.

Newborn lambs take their first steps.

Marilla is the ewe who had been hanging around Jade while she was lambing. Ewes very close to lambing often try to claim newborn lambs from another ewe. Once in the lambing area, Marilla got busy with her own delivery and had two lambs

1 day old lamb sleeping next to mom.

This is Addy’s ewe lamb from yesterday.

One day old twin black lambs.

Anise’s twins from last night.

Border collie looking in wheelbarrow for something to eat.

Ginny is hopeful that the wheelbarrow now contains lambing treats (afterbirth and membranes).

Newborn Jacob lamb taking first steps.

I was on another Zoom meeting at about 4:30 and Dan came to get me. This is Hilda’s first lamb of twins.

Newborn Jacob lamb.

This is the second.

Lambing Board in barn with notes.

The lambing board, wiped off and started fresh for 2022.