New addition to the farm today!

[mannytheseacow]

Congrats! I hope you have good luck with them rearing on their own. My two are doing well but it's still too cold to have them out for very long. As days go by, the BAAAAHHHH BAAAAAHHHHH BAAAAAAHHHHH is starting to sound a lot like DAD, DAD, DAAAD.

Little bastards.

[SilverFlame819]

They just like to lamb when the barometer starts dropping. You got a storm coming in today? You may have a whole flock of newborns by the end of the day.

[matt walker]

They do tend to come all at once, so I expect more in the morning. Manny, the only way they are getting in the house is covered in BBQ sauce. I kid, someday I do hope to have a bottle baby that I can raise to eventually milk. I can't believe I just said that...I hope I didn't jinx this lambing season.

[SilverFlame819]

You'll think twice about that when she's screaming to be milked because you're 30 minutes late or you can't go do things in town because it's almost milking time... Some hot chick catches your eye? Oh well, gotta be home to milk Betty in 20 minutes, so you can't pursue that... Unexpected trip out of town? Can't take it unless you can find someone to milk for you...

Can you milk a Jacob?? (That just... No, I won't comment.) I mean, I suppose you can milk anything if you have small enough hands, but you know what I mean. What's their milk production like? Are any bred for better hand-milking (longer teats, better attachment, etc)?

I'd really love some Icelandics. Great moms, great milk, great meat, super hardy, and wool of all different kinds. (Not to mention colors... You know how I love colors...)

[SilverFlame819]

How many ewes in your flock these days?

[matt walker]

Seven ewes. Yes, they are good milkers, I've heard.

[matt walker]

Ugh, tough lambing season so far. It's just been a downpour for a week now, and everything is mud and puddles. 4 lambs up, two down so far. I woke up this morning to crying and had to go out across two pastures to find a brand new little lamb heading the wrong way and already a quarter mile away from the flock and mom. I brought her back, but I'm not sure any of the ewes are gonna claim her. I guess I'll find out later. Hate that stuff.

[SilverFlame819]

Can't you shove them all in the barn for now?

[SilverFlame819]

(And you DID wish for a bummer lamb this year... And you HAVE mentioned wanting a milker... Sounds like you may have just received both from the universe!)

[matt walker]

Yeah, well, if there's a chance it's got a mom down there looking for it, I'll give 'em a few hours to work it out. Putting them in the barn, well, here's the thing. I have found that the more I mess with them the worse things usually get. Trying to get them in the barn will lead to a freaked out flock and some little thing getting trampled, at least, that's what I've learned. They seem to do the best if I just trust that they got it under control and let nature take it's course. I always end up with some dead ones, but I'm not sure it would be any better if I worried over them a whole lot, so I just let 'em be.