Monday, 23 February 2009
A Sign of Spring
.
It's a sign of Spring in farming country. The sheep are dropping their lambs. If the weather is cold
there's no risk of fly strike on the navel cord. Besides, the longer days are warmer now, and
at night both lambs and ewes are safely penned up in their barn. This year Jerry bred back
to a Dorset ram. He's a feisty one, but Jerry's going to keep on using him next year. Why?
Because ewes are having twins like never before. The first time we spoke six ewes had had
eleven lambs. When Paul and I visited today another ewe had had twin lambs. And later
that afternoon Jerry called to say it happened again, yet another ewe had given birth to twins.
About four or five more ewes have yet to lamb. These are, according to Jerry,
some very nice looking lambs. He'll keep a few of the best to replace the oldest ewes.
And meanwhile, I'll visit and enjoy their leaping and bounding, dozing and nursing
as the seasons cycle around to Spring and new life.
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