Looking at Lambs

The first group of ewes that started lambing in March has just finished. It was a cold start but everything went pretty smoothly. This is one of the best batches of lambs we've had.

One of my favorite jobs is to sit in the straw with the ewes and lambs. Taking ten minutes to just sit quietly and observe helps me pick out any ewes or lambs that are not thriving. I might see a lamb that is hunched up and doesn't have much of a tummy. A lamb like that isn't getting enough milk. Each lamb has a number spray painted on it that matches its mom. So I can quickly find the mom and see what is going on.

A ewe that isn't producing enough milk might have mastitis now, or she could have had it last year. Mastitis is an infection that causes scare tissue in the udder and limits milk production. If she has mastitis, I can treat her with antibiotics and feed the lamb a bit to help it along. We don't have many problems with this batch. Mostly the job involves sitting in the straw letting the lambs chew on your boots. There are always a few friendly lambs that like to get a pet as you sit there.

The grass is greening up in the fields now. Our rotational grazing won't start until the end of the month, but that doesn't stop the cows from enjoying a taste of the early spring grass alongside their hay.

Thanks for reading,

Leith, Mary Kate & Norah MacKenzie