Lambing 2012

We're officially into lambing season - our first lamb of 2012 has arrived!  Actually, we started yesterday, but do to the over-exuberance of Vegas the guard dog, today's lamb is the first that has survived.  She's out of a maiden ewe (which means this is the ewe's first lamb), but the ewe seems to be handling motherhood quite well.

Over the next 6 weeks, we anticipate the birth of 250-300 lambs.  A second, smaller group of ewes will give birth in April.  All told, we should have 375-450 lambs this spring.  Needless to say, we'll be busy.

With lambing comes sleepless nights, worries about weather, and long days.  We pasture lamb (meaning we rely on our ewes to give birth without assistance and to be outstanding mothers).  While our ewes generally do an outstanding job, I still feel like a mother hen - always worrying!  Regardless, lambing is my favorite time of year - I love the new life that lambing brings us!