Lambing

Gunnar - the sire.  I put him in with the ewes on November 22 and all the lambs were born five months later within a six day period.  Good work, Gunnar.

Sheep paths in the winter yard.

Helga

Sonja

The snow piled deep...

...and got deeper

No problem...all you need is plenty of hay and a wool coat.

The shepherd had to shovel a hole to open the hayshed door.

Jonathan collecting data.

Helga with her newborn daughters.

A first-time mother, Helga handled the job like an old pro.  She gave birth to the lambs inside the hayshed, and had them cleaned up and fed by noon.

The following day, another snowstorm.

Sonja and Vappu

 

The shepherd digging a trench along the fence so that the lambs could not hop over.

Vappu had twins, but rejected the first one.  She bonded with her second one.  Due to the inexperience of both the mother and the shepherd, and a lack of proper preparation on my part, the first lamb was lost.   It was a hard lesson, but I will be better prepared next year.



Fortunately our lambing season ended on a high note. Sonja had her twin males outside under the trees where she gave birth last spring and had them all cleaned up and fed by the time I got home.

Vappu came out of the hayshed to visit, but Sonja would not let her near.  "Don't even think about it!"

The new family inside their pen in the hayshed.  I isolated each of the ewes with their lambs so that they could bond for a few days, and also to wait for the weather to improve.

Marja holding one of Helga's lambs.  As you can see, she has been home at mealtimes.  Lambs grow very quickly on the mother's rich milk.