Right as I returned home from Martha’s Vineyard from teaching a weekend long sheepskin tanning class (a separate blog post coming on that!) we were hit with heavy snow storms, and ewes started lambing! It was an exciting time and we still have more ewes still to give birth!

Often I am asked why we have lambs born in the middle of winter and go through the spring, versus having all of them born in the spring. There are a few reasons why we lamb in winter. In the beginning, we had a much larger flock of ewes and raised lamb to sell at the farmer’s market so we needed to have them born as early as possible so we could provide a continual supply of lamb to our community. Lambs born in winter has it’s pros and cons. The obvious cons are the frigid cold temperatures that can occur in Ohio. But, as long as sheep have a place to get out of the elements, they lamb just fine. There are extra feed costs associated with winter lambing, because the ewes are not grazing on high quality spring pastures yet.

There are a few cons about spring lambing: Lambs born on pasture during warm temperatures are more susceptible to attacks from predators, and young lambs do not have the immunity to fight fight parasites that plague sheep, whereas older lambs say born in January or February have a head start on that. In the future, we are transitioning to lambing March-May.

Most sheep breeds will not be able to get pregnant any old time like pigs, cows, humans etc. They are what we call ‘seasonal breeders’. When the seasons begin to change towards the end of summer, the shorter daylight hours will trigger them to go into heat, which cycles every 17’sh days or so. Our rams were a marking harness that leaves a mark on the ewe to show that they have bred her. Using a marking harness is really important for my ewes that lamb during winter. I have a very good idea of when their due dates are and can keep them close to the barn when their due date approaches!

We have so many beautiful colored lambs this year! Our new ram Fil has proven himself and his offspring have lots of spotting!

Lucy gave birth to this beautiful girl! I named her Louisa.

I have felt so incredibly lucky this year, because all of the lambs are healthy and doing so well! We still have 7 ewes left to give birth. They are first time moms, so I will need to keep a close watch on them. They are due in April and May, so this is a very long lambing season, but I love it!

It is a very stressful time of the year on the farm, but also the most rewarding. Every year and season you are filled with hope and optimism and taking lessons you have learned the year prior and applying them to the season in front of you.

Thank you for being along for the journey!

Shepherdess,

Bethany

Lambing season 2021!

Sheepskin Tanning at Slough Farm on Martha's Vineyard Island

Preparing for Lambing!