Lambing Prequel

Lambing season is due to start in a month, but there were early lambs yesterday, the result of not moving ram lambs out of the main flock soon enough. Yes, some 5 month old lambs are fertile. I saw one of these ewes being bred and the ram lambs were moved that day. So I don't anticipate anymore lambs until late February. When I went to the barn yesterday morning I moved the ewes to the back as I normally do so that I can feed hay without them near the feeders. I heard a baaa. It's pretty crowded back there with full-fleeced ewes. I walked through the flock but didn't see a lamb. Then I heard it again and looked back. This is a poor view of the sliding door at the south end of the barn.This is looking from the other end. This happened once before--a lamb stumbled into the opening between the door and the wall and then couldn't get out. Fortunately it wasn't wet or too cold that night.Here he is with mom, Dazzle, in the barn.

Farm club was here during the day, but that's for another post. Afterwards, Dan continued with his work in the barn. We have new lights in the lambing area!Dazzle's lamb was a surprise although I didn't have a breeding date for her, which was an indication that she may have already been bred. I went back out last night to check the ewe I expected to lamb.She was lambing and had nice big twins.These are some flashy looking lambs, especially the little ram on the right. If he grows up nicely, those markings would make him a very pretty show lamb. Too bad he doesn't have a known father so he can't be in the show. Maybe he'll make someone a nice fiber pet if he's wethered.Ginny was just a baby at last lambing season and wasn't out on her own much. Today it didn't take her long to discover a dog's favorite part of lambing time. I usually make sure the afterbirth is not dog-accessible but when it falls out of the wheelbarrow it's up for grabs.