Our First year Lambing! (2024-25)

[LearningSheep]

Our flock consists of:
Dorothy - Katahdin 1.5 yr old
Blanche - Katahdin 1.5 yr old
Rose - Katahdin 1.5 yr old
Sophia - Katahdin 1.5yr old
Boo - Dorper 7 months
*Unnamed* Suffolk/Hamp Cross 3y
And two mini Donkeys that act as LGs.

The 4 katahdins are officially in "the window" for lambing, Dorothy is in the lead at present, as she has started bagging up, her back end is looking loose around her tail. This is a first for us (hubby's family runs cattle). Boo was 1/2 sister to the wether my daughter showed as a market lamb this fall, and the as of yet named suffolk cross will be her SAE project for FFA going forward. Figured this was as good of place as any to document our entrance into this part of sheep raising!

 

[Mini Horses]

Ahhh ... See you're in CA. That explains the brown fields in East Coast, VA, still green pasture. I raise goats but, same follow me routine gotta love it.
Anxious for lambing, kidding, etc to start. Love the babes!! . Every year, more exciting.

 

[LearningSheep]

Ahhh ... See you're in CA. That explains the brown fields in East Coast, VA, still green pasture. I raise goats but, same follow me routine gotta love it.
Anxious for lambing, kidding, etc to start. Love the babes!! . Every year, more exciting.

We moved from the Norfolk area back home to CA. The area they are following me out of is where we pen them up at night to limit access to coyotes etc and we are doing something backwards and getting the pasture outside their pen ready for rotational grazing (as in I need to put fences up, I just don't have the time yet - one more week till I'm down one of my full time jobs )

 

[SageHill]

A fellow CA! You're up near where I've competed in and judged herding trials. I'm down in San Diego county.
Looking forward to seeing your lambs! I've got some ewes due to lamb this month - one I'm guessing within the week.

 

[LearningSheep]

A fellow CA! You're up near where I've competed in and judged herding trials. I'm down in San Diego county.
Looking forward to seeing your lambs! I've got some ewes due to lamb this month - one I'm guessing within the week.

I think our first one will be sometime this week. In addition to the "loose" looking musculature she's swollen, not the "highlighter pink" someone described, but definitely flushed. We also are 99% sure she was the first one our ram connected with.

 

[SageHill]

I think our first one will be sometime this week. In addition to the "loose" looking musculature she's swollen, not the "highlighter pink" someone described, but definitely flushed. We also are 99% sure she was the first one our ram connected with.

Ya' know they both could lamb the same day! mine looks like a beached whale - udder is full and teats are really rounded. Last time around she had twins.

 

[LearningSheep]

Ya' know they both could lamb the same day! mine looks like a beached whale - udder is full and teats are really rounded. Last time around she had twins.

This is her first lambing... her bag isn't big, but it is developing so I'm just excited at least one of them is pregnant!

 

[SageHill]

It's always exciting!!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

Norfolk!! Yes, lived there, school there (50 miles out now) since Dad was Navy. Major changes there now.

 

[Baymule]

I’m waiting on lambs too. I never get tired of the babies!

I have to point out to you that donkeys are a prey animal. Mini donkeys are no match for any kind of a predator. Some years back, when I lived in northeast Texas, a neighbor lost most of her goats to a cougar. She had guard donkeys. The cougar made rounds around my place but didn’t come in. My dogs barking told the cougar that there would be a fight and it went looking for easier prey.

If I relied on donkeys, I would have no sheep. I’m now in deep East Texas, same predators but more coyotes. All donkeys have to do is outrun the sheep.