Preparing for Lambing Season: Day 1

Lambing season is scheduled to arrive in 21 days. But it may be 12 days, or 28.

This weekend, I prepared the barn. While the ewes lamb in the pasture, I usually bring the ewe and her lambs into the barn for 48 hours after their birth. There, I dip the lambs umbilical cords in iodine, and monitor mom and babies. This means that I have to have stalls, or jugs, available for them.

So, the extra horse stall that I'd been using for storage all winter was cleaned.

I also moved higher octane hay -- second cutting grass and alfalfa -- into the barn.

I went through the medicine cabinet, and took an inventory of items I may need.

Tomorrow, all the ewes will receive their vaccinations and I'll sort the pregnant ewes from the others. For the next few weeks, the pregnant ewes and llama will go to the "good" pasture -- that's the one that hasn't had sheep on it for months (and should have a lower parasite load) and the one that has the highest quality of grass.

I'll anxiously await the day when I look into the pasture, see spots of white, and say, "Oh lambs!"