Yesterday, Glenn,
Matt and Becky were separating and counting sheep. Not because they were having a particularly difficult
time sleeping, but because we were selling our first Mountain Glen Farm lambs;
the first lambs to be born on our farm.
The flock was brought
up from the pasture into the barn lot where the ewes were separated from all
the remaining 2012 lambs. This was not
an easy task. Sheep and lambs are
smaller than cattle, so they are able to sneak under gates with ease to the
opposite side of the working area than where they belong or they huddle in tighter
groups in corners making division more difficult. Some sheep go airborne; as I was able to
observe quite a hefty ewe use another sheep’s back as a kind of trampoline,
bounding up and over Becky’s head to temporary refuge. Matt went flying across the muddy snow as he tried
to maneuver a ewe to its new location.
Glenn opened and closed the gate the best he could, but those sheep were
faster than his reflexes. I stayed
clear out of the way; away from flying hoofs and slippery ice. I know my
limitations!
The best ewe lambs
were tagged. Only a few, nine, were
chosen to stay on as future breeding ewes. We are hoping that these chosen few are the healthiest,
most resistant to parasites, and great producers. Of course, only time will tell.
I thought sheep would
be easier to move about than the larger cows and calves. Wrong!
Twenty wethers
(castrated male lambs) were divided off and placed into the barn. These are the very first lambs to be sold
from Mountain Glen Farm.
The remaining lambs,
wethers and ewes still to sell; the four breeding rams; the’ keeper ‘ewe lambs and Ember (Becky’s
horse) were combined and will spend
winter in the barn paddock. Hmm….If
I recall, this is the exact same location that I saw the red fox only a few
days ago…I wonder if this is a safe prospect???
Polyface Inc, the
farm that bought our 2012 grass-fed calves earlier this month, promised to buy
20 lambs. Today was the day of purchase
and pick-up.
The 20 lambs were loaded
and left our farm, the remaining sheep none the wiser; a bittersweet moment,
yet an appropriate end to the year.
truck leaving with the 20 lambs |
truck rounding the bend in the driveway as the remaining lambs look on |
As I reflect, I can
honestly say that we had another good year at Mountain Glen Farm. The ups far outweighed the downs. We learned a lot and utilized new found
knowledge. We made a positive difference.
Now, we will converse
about the upcoming year; decide on our direction and any changes to be made; and
how best to follow that course. We want
to continue to thrive as a family and as a farm. We want our efforts to be constructive and beneficial
and mindful.
Well….we best get
moving as tomorrow is 2013!