April 1st was the start of our first lambing season. As of today 40 of 56 ewes in our first group have lambed. We have another batch of younger ewes that start lambing May 1st. One of the reasons why we divide up the lambing is because the barn is not big enough for all the ewes at once. Enough space is very important as overcrowding the barn makes everything very difficult.
This ewe just had a nice set of twins. They are already up and nursing. The ewe will get moved into a jug where she will spend a few days bonding with her lambs with no distractions.
Here is another ewe with her lambs in the jug. This is where the ewes get their feet trimmed and the lambs get ear tags. After a few days in the jug they go into a small pen with 3 to 4 other ewes.
Today with the warm weather I opened up an outdoor pen which adds a bunch of space for the growing group of ewes that have lambed. It’s really fun to watch the lambs explore the new area.
Thanks for reading,
Leith, Mary Kate & Norah MacKenzie