Life Down Wattle Lane v2 - Lambing Season Summer 22/23

After such a long wait, we are just over half way through our lambing season. So far we have had 14 healthy lambs from 9 ewes. 5 lambs popped out last night, a busy night. There are 5 more ewes to drop their babies.

We tried things a little different this time. Instead of having lambs in the middle of winter, we are, well we should have had lambs in November, towards the end of spring. But I am guessing that our ram Whiskers took his time to enjoy the ladies, as the lambs only started appearing after Christmas.

So far... touch wood, everything has gone super well and we have 14 healthy lambs.  I haven't had to worry about frosts or the lack of feed or exposing myself to the elements.

For the first week of the lambs birth the mumma ewe will keep her newborns well away from people and anything potentially dangerous. The lambs will obediently follow mum wherever she goes. At this point I am just worried about whether the lambs are up an feeding. So I am keeping a close watch to see if the lambs are finding the udder and then if they are drinking. Generally if they are getting milk their little tails will be wiggling at a million miles.

After about the first week mum starts to relax and I can get close enough to see what sex the lambs are. By about this time the lambs have found their feet and are running circles around mum. Jumping on and over mum while she is resting. The lambs have started to interact with the other lambs and now its mum running after her lambs.

Come the second week of age the lambs have formed a gang, and new entrants are enlisted as they become of age. You are able to get close enough to pat the lambs if they allow and mum isn't bothered by your presence. 

It's by this time I can start to relax, the lambs are big and healthy. 

I am still keeping a close eye out for hawks and wandering dogs. 

I spotted a wandering dog the other day in the lambing paddock. At first I thought it was an Arapawa sheep, similar colour and size, and I thought why was it out on it's own. As I got closer I realized it was a dog, so I yelled at it to "go home". Hopefully a familiar command all dogs are taught. The dog left the paddock but only to get stuck in the fence and needed assistance to be freed. It's collar somehow latched itself onto the fencing wire. After I just yelled at the dog, I approached with caution, and fortunately the dog was friendly and let me untangle him. He was then on his way running down the roadside... accompanied with my parting words "go home go home".

I am just loving this lambing season.