Fall Feeding & Breeding

Every year after we finish cutting hay on our best hay field, we haul in a group of sheep to graze the field in October and November. The pasture on those twenty acres usually grows quite well in the fall and can keep sixty ewes happy and well-fed for sixty to seventy days. 

While the ewes are grazing the hay field, we introduce a ram to breed the flock for a lambing season that will start in the middle of March. Feeding ewes an extra nutritious diet a few weeks prior to breeding leads to more lambs born in the spring.

Last week we did our annual pregnancy check of the cow heard. The vet comes out to the farm and ultrasounds each cow. Based on the ultrasound image, the vet can tell whether a cow is pregnant and give us her approximate due date. This information helps us keep a better eye on individual cows as they get close to calving in the spring.

The lambs born last spring are growing well in the hoop barn, sheltered from the inclement weather. They always have access to fresh hay and water in the barn, and they get extra energy from beet pellets fed once a day. The lambs think that the beet pellets are a real treat - you can see how they are all crowded around the feeders enjoying their snack.

Thanks for reading,

Leith, Mary Kate, Norah & Edith MacKenzie