One of the biggest uncontrollable and sometimes unknown effects of being a sheep farmer is the weather. A person can not plan months ahead on what tasks to complete or even when to have lambs be born in the sunshine, due to the weather.
January is usually mild weather month for our area. We do get some cold evenings and nights, but temperature warm up during the day. February is known for the artic blasts and days of freezing rain and frigid nights. In the next few days we are going get our first true cold blast of winter, a few weeks early. Weather goes in patterns and seasons, but is not totally predictable or consistent. I check on the weather each day, so I can prepare.
This weekend, we are to have cold temperatures and moisture. I am thankful for the moisture. What I need to be prepared for is if a ewe lambs during this wet and cold spell. A wet lamb gets cold. If the lamb gets too cold before it stands and nurses, then the body temperature will continue to drop until the lamb dies. In preparation for this situation, we have prepared a small stall in the barn with shavings for bedding and a heat lamp. Once the lamb has nursed and is dry, the cold weather will not bother it much. We will be checking the ewes pen in the early morning, before the sun comes up as this is the coldest time of the day and when ewes usually lamb. We will continue to check the ewes, as I have five that are left to lamb, as we do each day. If one does have their lamb or lambs, we are ready.
I do not worry much about my ewes lambing at this time as they are all experienced good mothers. But, if I had a first time ewe, she would be placed in the barn stall before she lambs. First time ewes, like first time mothers, need a little time alone with their lamb to figure out how to be a mother.
I have read that a ewe lamb learns how to be a good mother by the way her mother ewe cared for her when she was a lamb. I have also heard being a good mother ewe is genetic. The ewe lambs I retain as replace ewes have good ewe mothers in caring for their lambs. Their lambs grow well due to milk production, which is genetic, but can be influenced by little or bad feed causing milk production to be low.
Having ewes that are good mothers and experienced makes the lambing so much easier. All my ewes lamb in the pen or pasture depending on the time of day they lamb. They are good mother ewes that have been selected by performance of their mothers and themselves. A sheep farmer saves themselves a lot of work and stress by only keeping good mothering ewes to produce lambs.
Granny
Granny's Homestead 