2015 Lambing Season Has Begun...And, So Has My Worrying

The lambs have begun to arrive - our early lambs for 2015 and right on schedule.

 

Today, our first two lambs, cute as always, were bouncing and hopping around within minutes of their birth.  One was full white and the other had a black face.  Mama ewe grazed contently.  All was well.

 

The day was cold, but sunny with a slight breeze.  It was a very comfortable winter day; a good day for lambing.

 

I was constantly looking out the window checking on those two babies.  A convenience afforded me by recently moving the pregnant ewes into the barn paddock next to the house.  

 

Within the hour, two more lambs were born.  Both of these babies were totally white.  And, both were up and nursing, healthy and strong.

 

I watched these babies almost constantly throughout the afternoon. 

 

A black vulture flew low over their heads. Black vultures are not kind to newborn lambs. Then, I noticed a huge red-tailed hawk perched in a nearby tree. He had a 'bird's eye view' of the family. Do hawks eat lambs? I did not want to take any chances.  I went out and chased the hawk away. 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ewe and her twins...notice the hawk (large white mass) in the nearby tree - too close for my comfort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, I remembered…we have been hearing coyotes nightly for the past week.  These coyotes were very near to the house and very vocal.  Our dogs responded in kind.  Hopefully, the dogs deterred the coyotes from advancing closer to the house and closer to our sheep.

 

As a precaution, Glenn and Becky moved the two, new mama ewes and their four babies into the barn for the night.  These four would be totally safe from any predator. (At least, for the moment.) A heat lamp was positioned to provide heat for the newbies during the below-freezing temperatures of night. 

 

I went into the small barn pen (approximately 10 feet X 16 feet) and had Becky hand me the black-faced baby.  She was so light and fuzzy and soft.   Mama ewe immediately became nervous and tried to find her missing lamb which was a mere two feet away in my embrace.  Evidently, two feet was too far away.  I carefully placed the lamb on the ground and she was reunited with her mama in a second.  Calmness was immediately restored.

 

As for the rest of our ewes and last season’s lambs, they are still very vulnerable to the coyotes.

 

I really hope that our dogs will keep the killing coyotes away and that we do not have a repeat our disastrous 2014 lambing season in which we suffered multiple lamb losses nightly. 

 

Regardless, my worrying has begun!