Fall Lambing Begins

Once we make it past Labor Day, the rhythms on our farm change significantly. The gardens transition from summer to autumn crops, we’re watching the forecast for chances of frost, and preparations commence in earnest for the fall lambing season.

Our flock of California Red-cross sheep has increased dramatically from our original 2 Hampshires in 2001 that having all the ewes lamb at once in the spring proved to be too much both for our facility space and our available people power. Kara did her research, and several years ago we began splitting the flock and having one group that bred in the fall for a spring lambing, with a second group breeding in the spring for a fall lambing.

Kara’s been tending the pregnant ewes closely, giving them farther-out grazing space earlier in their pregnancies, then moving the paddocks closer to the barn as they neared late gestation. During this period, the ewes grow quite round and are not interested in walking very far. They waddle out with a sigh, coming back after a while to lay down and rest.

As the due date nears, the ewes are brought into the center part of our historic gambrel barn, where we can keep a close eye on them. This means bringing out our set of barn cameras, which allow us to spy on the sheep at any hour of the day and night without disturbing them. At night, we take shifts watching the cameras to make certain that we don’t miss a delivery.

I was minding the shop and Mom and Steve were making our CSA deliveries to the Eau Claire area when Kara began texting that a ewe was in labor. When it’s a momma sheep’s first time having a baby (called a “prime”), she can be very flighty and agitated. Fortunately, this was an experienced ewe, who was willing to let Kara help her. True to our medical family’s style, Kara pulled out the ewe’s chart and saw that she has always needed help with her deliveries, so she moved the momma into a jug pen in preparation for the event. Time for the birthing room!

This particular ewe’s problem tends to be that she has trouble fully dilating, so in anticipation, Kara was able to give her medicine at the right time in her labor to help ease this condition. Without assistance for this type of problem, the mother can strain and strain, but the baby cannot come out. As the placenta separates from the uterus, the baby now has no oxygen supply, yet it cannot breathe because it is still in the mother. This is why it is so important for us to be there at each delivery. Not every mother needs assistance, but if something goes amiss, it can become a very bad situation very quickly.

I was teaching a tapestry class on Zoom as I could hear the texting dings going back and forth. “Leaving Rice Lake” came Mom’s note, while Kara gave her play-by-play updates on the process. After class, I was able to catch up on the discussion thread.

“10 lb. girl!” was one of the announcements.

Often, this ewe has had twins, but this time around she had a single, which was plenty big for a lamb! The adorable cinnamon colored girl is healthy and vigorous, with no signs of oxygen deprivation thanks to Kara’s well-timed intervention. I got to pet her nose yesterday morning and admire her shiny, dark eyes and super soft baby wool. She’s bouncing and prancing, excited to be in this world. Kara has decided to name her Clover.

Last night, Steve was taking his shift with the cameras, in particular watching two ewes who had declined eating their dinner. Sheep are highly food motivated, so opting not to eat is either a sign that they are sick, injured, or in the early stages of labor. Sure enough, early this morning one of them gave birth to twin boys. This ewe was able to deliver on her own without complications, and the new family unit is relocated to the safety and warmth of a jug pen. One of the boys is especially fluffy!

The camera watching continues as this is just the beginning of our fall lambing season. Soon the barn will be full of adorable little bouncers. September has worked out to be a good month for our fall lambing, as there is still time for the little ones to grow chubby before winter sets in, yet it’s past the hottest days and summer schedule. Summer milking for the spring group has wrapped up, and Kara can focus her barn time on the little ones. As the seasons transition, so does the workload and our focus.

Here’s to a healthy and successful fall lambing season! See you down on the farm sometime.