Monthly Archives April 2010

Cute Lamb Video & Update

April 15, 2010 | 16 Comments

Today started with a pair of ewe lambs born at breakfast. Way to go, Ursa! I have now have six lambs in need of names and we're up to the letter "N" if you'd like to help out. With only two ewes left to deliver, there's an end in sight. In the meantime, I shot this video yesterday afternoon while I was hanging out with Helena's black ewe lamb. I'm trying to get her use to being in the barn with other sheep. She'd much rather follow me around all day, so I'm taking it slowly, letting her get comfortable.
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Lamb Update

April 13, 2010 | 6 Comments

Hello everyone. Thanks for your encouraging words and thoughts for Helena's little black ewe lamb. She spent her second night in the bedroom she woke up hungry and sucked done a solid five ounces. After following me around the house, piddling and pooping on just about every rug, I decided it was time for her to move back to the barn. It's always tough knowing where to place a single orphan lamb. Helena no longer thinks its hers and she'd actually hurt it if I put it back in the lambing jub. Helena by the way, is a bit maternally
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A Bedroom Lamb

April 12, 2010 | 26 Comments

Helena's lambs arrived just after midnight, a ewe-ling followed by a ram. I didn't hear or see the ewe-ling' arrival; looked like she had just dropped when I heard a sound that woke me (over the baby monitor). She never made it onto her feet before getting the shivers, so badly that I ended up bringing her inside with me for the night. Her brother is doing fine but I still can't get this little ewe to latch onto her mom or even onto a bottle. We're keeping her going with stomach tubing at the moment. She's here with me
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Sunday’s Lambs

April 11, 2010 | 13 Comments

Found this lovely raft of Cormo lambs in the center pen today. All Teaberry lambs – big eyes, pink noses.They've begun to fill out, loosing that loose-skinned newborn look. We've got them ear tagged so we can keep track of who belongs to whom. With so many mothers and lambs bouncing around the mixing pen it's pretty hard to tell them apart. The lambs have started forming their own little pack, often sleeping together in piles while the mothers are at the feeder. I'll be sending them out to romp in the yard soon, maybe even early this week
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Morning Chores!

April 10, 2010 | 9 Comments

I've worked up quite an appetite before breakfast. Helped the guys stack 2 tons of straw that arrived first thing. Gorgeous, clean, honey golden bedding for my lambs. We go through at least 4 tons of it in a year. You should see the size of my compost pile. Crazy windy here today, feels just like March. All the windows are closed up to keep the barn warm. Holly spread extra straw while she cleaned pens today. Everyone looks content. I can't say how much I appreciate Holly's help at this time of year, when I have so many demands
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More lambs, More Giveaways, Another Winner

April 9, 2010 | 115 Comments

The lambs are loving their new creep pen. I thought you might like to see them having fun in their new giant play pen, complete with toys. And food. In the background a lamb is entering through a slot the creep panel from the adjacent pen where we keep the mothers. I love watching them explore for the first time. At first they're hesitant and spooked by a new place. And then they let loose and start bouncing around. Party time. The green ball is for the boys to practice head butting. Quite rammy for such a young age. See that
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Morning Chores!

April 8, 2010 | 12 Comments

It's not every day that starts with a lamb looking up your nightie. Holly was here early for morning chores. I'm suppose to get a little more rest this way. But when I can hear the sounds of morning chores over the baby monitor – feeding sheep and cleaning pens – it's hard to stay in bed even though I could use the rest. I went over in my nightie just to say hi and see if anything was cooking. But then I started seeing all the little tasks we could get done really quickly if we did them together.
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Tipping point

April 7, 2010 | 9 Comments

We crossed the half way mark today with two sets of twins arriving within an hour of each other bringing the lamb count to 22 (11 ewes and 11 rams). I'm so grateful for Holly being here to help. While she worked with Pheonix and her twin ewe lambs, I assisted Stella and her ewe and ram lamb (above). This is Stella's first time. We had to help with delivering the ewe lambs who was huge – 12 lbs! From the looks of things at the moment, I'll have a busy night in the barn. Ursa is pawing the straw
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A Safe Berth

April 6, 2010 | 13 Comments

Spied this in the barn yesterday. Cassandra and one of her triplets in a moment of perfect contentment. (But I do need to get a coat back on that momma.) Quiet night – no new arrivals. Please spread the word about this week's big giveaway and I'll announce a winner on Friday. copyright 2010. Barbara Parry. All rights reserved. Feel free to share a link to this website. Please do not take content or images from this website without my explicit written permission. Thank you.
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On the lamb front

April 5, 2010 | 25 Comments

Just a quick post to bring you up to date. Cassandra delivered triplets Saturday – our second set back to back. Harrington, Herculana, and Helvetica are doing quite well. They join Verbena's trio, Georgia, Garamond and Gigi, pictured above. We now officially have a triplet ward set up in the southeast corner of the barn. We have to feed the triplet moms differently than the rest, so it's actually easier if there's a couple of sets of three. They are cutest group in the barn at the moment. Yesterday Pansy delivered a ram and a ewe lamb (Jazz and Lucida)
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