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Hi friends,
This month definitely had some extreme highs and lows… it’s been a rough week and I’m going to share about it in this update.😔
Good News:
Let’s start with the good news: all 2025 lambs have been safely delivered to their new owners (with a few more stashed in freezer camp)! It was a huge pleasure to meet so many of you and put these lambs into good hands.
The last handful of early-spring lambs are weaned and looking great! As always, my lambs are weaned into a clean pen (for 2 weeks) and fed alfalfa hay before rejoining the flock. This allows the ewes to dry off and the lambs to adjust to all forage in a controlled environment with quality feed.
Bad News:
Now I guess I’ll get to the sad news. Back in January my rams broke out of their “seasonal confinement” and spent enough time with the flock to breed a few ewes. Lambs born in May and June always fail to thrive on pasture (parasites), so I avoid lambing in these months… however 5 sweet surprises popped up on pasture this month – and I was in love. 🥰
Unfortunately, however, last week we had the first predator attack in 3 years. A pack of dogs or coyote (we have both) came through and took out all of the newborn lambs overnight.
One lamb was left half eaten, another found dead, and the other three were completely missing.
The details:
This instance was honestly a logistical error on my part. When I have lambing ewes I keep them as close to the house as possible and make sure they are near the enclosure in case I need to shut them up overnight. Because this was not a regular lambing group I dropped protocol and maintained my regular rotation.
In May and June I graze the flock at the far end of my 30 acres, which is near the edge of the woods: the very worst spot for grazing when tiny lambs are in the mix.
About a day before the attack, one of the ewes gave birth at the edge of the woods. Presumably, the after-birth from that delivery encouraged predators even further.
It was a pretty sickening experience, but honestly could have been a lot worse. I had just weaned my spring lambs into a safe pen and the lambs that I sold were safely with their new owners.
For those who will likely ask if I have a Livestock Guardian Dog: we do have a large Pyrenees mix that roams the majority of our 30 acres. To her credit she was trying to get our attention the night of the attack. I have not had success bonding a formal LGD to the flock: my last Pyrenees was a wanderer and we lost him to highway traffic.
I hope that sharing some of these details will help you! Maybe you can use it to adjust or add to your own system to avoid similar losses.
In all, it was really sad, but thankfully (because they were surprises) I was not banking on these lambs for income. The Lord was merciful to cut my losses, remind me of why certain protocol is important, and give a dose of humility – which is always a good thing to grow in.
I will close on a positive note! The 3rd printing of my book, the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture, was delivered. THANK YOU for your supporting my self-published (not on Amazon) book. A special thanks to Redmond Agriculture and Lakeland Farm and Ranch for helping with the printing costs on this 3rd edition.
-the Shepherdess
P.S. Submission deadline for the Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway has been extended to June 15th. Read about how you can apply for the starter flock HERE!
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
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