This weekend we readied the barn for lambing. With our first possible due dates just a week away, we needed to get our lambing area set up. We have a large horse stall in the barn that has become our laboring ward for the ewes. We keep a deep bed of hay there and only open it up when we have a ewe close to lambing. The ewes love to use this space as it is quiet and dimly lit, and they will often seek it out once labor begins in earnest.
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| Chloe Stands in the Doorway |
I keep lambing jug panels screwed to the wall of the barn with hinges. We set two of these up in the barn over the weekend. The sheep and llama all gathered to watch as we worked. The panels can open up against the walls of the stall, or be pulled out to form a small pen when needed. Once the lambs are born, and the ewe has had a chance to clean the lamb and bond with it, we will put the ewe and lambs in the small jug. This way, I can sleep at night, knowing that the lamb can easily find mom. It also gives me a chance to observe the lamb for a couple days to be sure it is healthy and nursing well before turning it out with the rest of the flock.
Some of the ewes look quite ready to lamb, with ever bulging side saddles. With the lambing area clean and ready and the lambing kit fully stocked, all we need now are some new lambs!
Tombstone Livestock
Will be waiting to see all those lamb pictures.