Purplequeenvt - Lambing 2023

[purplequeenvt]

Welcome to the Ivy Knoll Farm’s 2023 Lambing Journal!

I’m starting to gear up for lambing season. I like to shear prior to lambing. I sent my clipper blades off to Premier to get sharpened last week. I got them back today (after some mail carrier issues).

I started in on the ewes this morning, but my clippers got knocked down and they stopped working so I quit after the first 3. I took them apart and got them going again (thank goodness!). Hopefully I can get through most of the bred ewes this weekend.

The strategy for shearing this year is to work through the ewes in order of due dates. They get sheared, feet trimmed, and CD&T boosters. After the bred ewes are finished, I’ll do the rams, wethers, and young/retired ewes.

 

[purplequeenvt]

I used 3 rams this year: Burton (3yo white Border Leicester), Banff (natural colored Border Leicester lamb), Hazard (Shetland ram lamb)

Here’s the ewe lineup:

Idalee - 4yo cross, bred to Burton, due 2/23
Finna - 3yo NC Border Leicester, bred to Banff, due 2/23.
Mallie - 4yo Shetland, bred to Hazard, due 2/23
Isla - 3yo white BL, bred to Burton, due 2/26
Valerie - 11yo cross, bred to Burton, due 2/26
Skye - 2yo cross, bred to Burton, due 3/6
Jemima - 5yo white BL, bred to Burton, due 3/9
Hirta - 2yo white BL, bred to Banff, due 3/9
Kindie - 3yo white BL, bred to Burton, due 3/11
P-Ewe - 6yo NC BL, bred to Banff, due 3/12
Fiona - 2yo Shetland, bred to Hazard, due 3/14
Patti - 6yo white BL, bred to Burton, due 3/14
Freyja - 10yo Shetland, bred to Hazard, due 3/15
Farr - 2yo Shetland, bred to Hazard, due 3/17
Dee - 3yo Shetland, bred to Hazard, due 3/19
Shee - yearling BL/Shetland cross, bred to Banff, due 3/19
Elsa - 2yo white BL, bred to Banff, due 3/26
Nith - 4yo NC BL, bred to Banff, due 3/28
Jura - 2yo NC BL, bred to Banff, due 4/1

19 total ewes - 4 crossbreds, 5 Shetlands, 10 Border Leicesters.

 

[Baymule]

You are about to be very busy! Post lots of pictures!

 

[Mini Horses]

Very busy mid March! ,

 

[farmerjan]

. I'm tired just looking at your schedule.... Granted we have about 75 cows due to calve in Mar-May... but they normally don't need the "watching" the sheep do and seldom need any intervention...

 

[purplequeenvt]

. I'm tired just looking at your schedule.... Granted we have about 75 cows due to calve in Mar-May... but they normally don't need the "watching" the sheep do and seldom need any intervention...

I try not to baby the sheep during lambing. Most of the time I go out to the barn and find new lambs. I like having due dates because it eliminates some of the guess work and I know who I need to watch closer when.

I’m a one woman show over here. I have a few people that can help me out in a pinch, but I set things up so I can manage by myself.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Shearing did not go as planned over the weekend. I only got 3 more done. I have clippers, not shears and they really don’t like going through the winter lanolin. It’s too sticky. They worked beautifully on summer/fall fleeces, but they gum up too quickly on the winter wool. I finally broke down and spent the money on a Premier 4000 shearing machine. It is out for delivery this morning and hopefully that will help me cruise through the rest of the flock.

 

[Baymule]

I hope the shears help!

 

[purplequeenvt]

I should have bought the shears years ago. I blasted through 7 sheep this afternoon. There’s only a handful of bred ewes to go and then I’ll do the boys and open ewes. There’s a few that aren’t being sheared right now either because they were sheared late in the fall or they are old and on the skinny side. Or they’re going in the freezer soon.

I’m trimming feet, giving CD&T shots, and replacing missing ear tags as I go.

So far everyone appears to be pregnant. Got some cute little udders starting. We’re 3 weeks out from the first due dates.

A couple of the ewes are skinnier than I’d like them to be, but everyone else is at a good weight. I did up their grain today.

 

[Baymule]

Hey that’s great! A real labor saver and not to mention time saver!