This morning I solved a little mystery. For the past few days I have been finding weaned lambs that have strayed under the electric fence into the adjacent ewe grazing pasture. The two groups have been divided for grazing purposes for quite a while. While it’s not unusual for a lamb to occasionally end up somewhere it doesn’t belong, I was surprised three times this week to find a youngster or two amidst the adult flock.
Upon my arrival at the farm today, I discoverd a pair of lambs happily cavorting through the hay field – definitely off limits in late summer. Further investigation revealed the reason – no juice on the electric fence. Evidently a lightning strike earlier in the week had cooked the fence energizer. Rather than risk a lamb or ewe getting tangled in non-electrified net, I dismantled the fence separating the two groups.
So the ewes and spring lambs are now enjoying a reunion of sorts. I was amused to see how quickly the lambs sought out their own mothers. No one attempted to nurse, though some of the more developed ram lambs attempted some very ram-like behaviour. . .
In the big barn across the road, there are two lambs who still very much belong with their moms. Mystic and Cody were both born in June during my highly anticipated "late lambing" . Back in January when I introduced Teaberry, our new young ram, to a group of late-blooming ewes, I was hoping for a handful of June lambs. The results, pictured below, were somewhat less than expected. Only two ewes were bred, each delivering a single lamb.
Here’s Mystic with her mom, Calypso, back in July.
And Cody with his mother Cassandra, earlier this week:
While perfectly dear, the sight of young lambs nursing in mid-August is slightly incongruous. From a management standpoint, it’s just plain nuts. Since the needs of this group are quite different than the rest of the flock, they remain a flock apart. They need their own barn space, their own waterers, minerals, feeders with grain (since the ewes are lactating), a creep pen with grain (since the lambs are "creeping), and a guardian llama to keep them safe.
That responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of Caitlyn. A retiree from a friend’s breeding herd, Cait arrived last fall with no previous sheep experience. While she can’t compare with Crackerjack’s loyalty and sense of duty, she has adapted rather well to life in the fold.
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Copyright 2007, Barbara Parry, Foxfire Fiber & Designs
All images and content property of Barbara Parry, Foxfire Fiber & Designs.
