Perfect lambing

OPINION — Last May, after selling most of my flock the previous fall, I had very few pregnant ewes under my care. I’d been proclaiming for years that I needed far fewer ewes or far more if I was going to make shepherding sustainable. Now it had come true, and I was excited to not feel sleep deprived and a little crazed for the entire month of May.

Of course, the best laid plans are always an excellent opportunity for the exact opposite to occur. Lambing started with an errant first time mother who had twins and couldn’t decide if she loved her babies or was terrified of them. We had to catch her and tie her up every few hours so her babies could nurse. Once they’d start drinking, she’d talk to them softly and seemed pleased to have them near her. But as soon as they were done, she switched back to fearing them, and would run away or head butt them if they tried to get close again.