Blackie

You may remember Blackie sheep, she was one of the twins born a few winters ago and left to freeze to death when her mom wanded off.  She, and her sister, had to be bottle fed.  We sold the sister and kept Blackie.

Blackie sheep is due to have her lambs in about three weeks time and is getting bigger every day.  She sure has calmed down.  It use to be when I would go outside she was always running to see me, baaing loudly, even after she was more than a  year old.  I guess she is all grown up now, but she is still friendly and likes to have her head scratched.  She sure is not black any more though, all that wool has faded.  Only her face and legs remain as black as when she was a little lamb.

Look how big her tummy is.  That is her mother standing in behind her. 

It looks like a mild spring, well hopefully at least, the winter has been very mild and lacking of snow.  If you remember last winter we had snow up to their tummies.  Poor ewes had to struggle through the paths just to get anywhere. 

So that is pretty much it for now, just waiting for a few more days until the lambs start arriving, then I will have lots of pictures to share of all the wee ones. 

Supplies Needed for Lambing Season

For the hobby farmer who is just new into sheep, and is expecting their first lambs, knowing just what to get can be tricky. 

Ewes are pregnant for 5 months, you should be ready for lambing at least two weeks in advance, and plan on having to devote extra time to the sheep for at least a few weeks after their lambing dates.  Being prepared will make things go much smoothly.

Most sheep keepers lamb in the spring, when the weather is a bit better.  Winter lambing is harder, often has greater losses, and is what we here just went through if you have been following this blog (although not our first time lambing).

The nipple at the center/top is new and does not have the tip cut off, the other has been used for a couple of weeks.  Note they fit onto this pop bottle.

Buying a nipple before you need one is something I totally recommend.  They are not costly and may be hard to find when you need it.  The nipple seen in the image is the kind that seem to work best for young lambs.  If you need to bottle feed you may need Colostrum, and will need Lamb Milk Replacement Formula.  In an emergency a can of evaporated milk, with a tiny bit of molasses can be used until these can be purchased, as such keeping a can of evaporated milk, and molasses, may be a good alternative to buying a bag of Lamb Milk Replacement before it is needed.

 

You will also want to stock up on old towels as they may be needed to dry off a wet lamb (normally you can let the ewe do this but you need to be ready in case you must help).

For a more complete list of other Suggested Supplies for Lambing Season- click here.

Prepare yourself so you know What to do if you have a Bottle Baby Lamb - click here.