Lambing Under Duress

Our exposed, West-facing hillside got 63mph winds with 52mph sustained gusts.  Combined with raw, cold snow, the weather is absolutely brutal right now.  We can feel every crack, fissure and draft in our house.  It is cold indoors and worse outdoors.  Much worse.

So I was worried about what I’d find in the barn.  Mostly, the sheep have been huddling for warmth under tough circumstances.  But all of the lambs are fine and nursing.  We had a birth this afternoon- one enormous ram from our 2017 bottle lamb, Sue.  Last year, her lamb didn’t make it, so we were watching her carefully.  This year, much better luck.  With some toweling-off from us, he was up and suckling quickly.

The lambs are handling the weather by cuddling up to conserve energy.  Here’s an adorable pile of little ones during the worst of the weather this morning:

Fierce mommas are the best kind to have.  Summer is very concerned that her little ram lamb might be cold, so she guards him constantly.  Next to this hay bale, he’s in the lee of the wind.

Shepherds have to protect themselves, too.  I’m breaking my anonymity by showing you the multi-level attire I adopted to deal with getting to and from the barn.  Once in the barn, I was actually significantly overdressed.  As breezy as it is, the barn offers good protection.