Lambs!

Some shepherds lamb in great numbers. And that is amazing.
And some shepherds lamb in wee small numbers. And that is amazing also. The commonality among shepherds, regardless of how many sheep they have in their flock, is their love and passion for their flock of sheep.

I shared the conversation below with a shepherd I know in Gotland, Sweden. He saw on Instagram that our lambing season had begun and he told me that his lambing is about to commence. He expects 655 lambs on the ground over a 6 week period. That’s over a 100 lambs per week. Wow! On our last trip to Gotland, we had several shepherds share their lambing management systems with us. Having a wee small farm, it blew my mind at the numbers of lambs they have born within a season and how they tend to all the moms and lambs each day. I felt rather small listening to them share with us.

I am fully aware of the attention and energy that goes into lambing season on my farm and I couldn’t fathom how they manage not just the tasks that need to be done, but the emotional energy that lambing requires of shepherds. Last year, this same shepherd sent me a photo of his wife holding a new lamb. The lamb was wrapped in a towel. The lamb had a rough start and they had to bring it in the house to dry and get warm. I remember him saying then, that each and every lamb is important to them. No life is left behind, every lamb is given the chance to survive. It is this love and passion that he once again reminded me of in our recent conversation.

It’s not the size or amount that matters, it is the love of our animals and our passion for sheep herding that does. 💗

Sorby Gård-Gotland, Sweden

My numbers may not run as high as theirs, but my love for this breed, my flock, and each individual sheep and lamb within our flock is just as deep as theirs. One year, I hope to travel to Gotland during their lambing season and experience 655 lambs. For now, won’t you join me this lambing season as my wee small flock in Vermont produces a handful of lovely Gotland lambs? Olina started our season on Friday, giving us two lovely ewe lambs, Pixie and Pia. Stay tuned for more to come.

Follow us on Instagram and follow our journey this season.

Photos by: Anna Estelle Photography