These are not the best photos because the light was bad and these little ones won't stop wiggling, but you get the idea. We have a good farmer friend who raises sheep. She's a one woman show and this year she had her hands full with more bottle-fed lambs than she has arms for. Lambs need to be bottle-fed for several reasons. Either they were rejected by their mother, the mother had a multiple birth and can't produce enough milk for all, or the mother has died. Either way, they need human intervention to survive.
We . . . ok,
I, agreed to take 3 baby girls off her hands. We already have 3 female sheep for wool so why not have 3 more? I had no idea how small 2 of them would be. There is one that is literally smaller than a cat. In fact, I'm a little worried about that one but I'm doing what I can to get it through. These little pumpkins are being bottle-fed 5 times a day, which would be fine if that's all that we needed to do around here. Needless to say, there's been some lost sleep and lots of consulting our reference books.
In other, very important news . . . the big hens have moved out into the eggmobile and are spending their days on pasture and the new girls have moved into a much-needed larger space in the greenhouse! This really is a big deal. I don't know who's happier, the girls or us.
We did, however, have a rough night last night. Since we moved them the night before while they slept, last night was their first night falling asleep in their new home. It was different enough and cold enough to cause a panic so we had to intervene with heat lights. It was touch and go for a while but everyone made it through the night and they seem to be doing well tonight.
In just a few weeks the new girls will be ready to move outside just in time to make room for the arrival of the first batch of broiler chicks.
It may not feel quite like Spring just yet but I do believe we are farming now!
