Separating the Boys

When I moved the seven male lambs into a separate pen and paddock, they had a good time -- head butting, jumping on each other, chewing on weeds, climbing fences.

But as afternoon waned to evening, the four-month-old boys grew alarmed.

"Mom?"

"Mom."

"Mom!"

"Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!!!!"

It was getting dark, and while they were perfectly capable of surviving on hay and grass, they wanted a nightcap: just a nip of milk.

And, they wanted to curl up next to their mom and sisters -- all but one had a sister -- and sleep through the night.

And, since they couldn't, they made sure that I didn't sleep through the night either. Though they could see each other through the wire mesh fence, the ewes and lambs called to each other through the night.

But now, on day two of separation, they are missing their moms less and falling into the bachelor lifestyle.