Cute, but not Cuddly

In an ideal world, lambs aren't handled much.

After birth, we keep them in the barn for a day or two, just to make sure they are okay and nursing, and that the ewe is okay.

Then, they go out with the flock where they graze, romp, sun themselves, and grow. I watch from afar as they move from barns to pastures, but otherwise, I don't handle them again for about three weeks.

This weekend, we vaccinated them and castrated the ram lambs. It also gave us a chance to see how they were growing and filling out.

The verdict? They're doing quite nicely. They have a little layer of fat under their skin. They're bright-eyed, and quite mobile.

After finishing with the vaccinations, we let them lose, promising to handle them again in four weeks.

PHOTOS: The lambs usually nap with their siblings. In the first photo, are a set of twins snoozing in the sun. In the second photo, the lambs spotted me and hopped out of the hay feeder -- a favorite napping spot.