Sunday, March 20, 2011

A Watched Sheep...


Take a look at poor Acorn:



She is sooooo totally pregnant. I've been expecting her to lamb for five days now, checking every few hours all daylong, then twice at night and waking up extra early too.

And still, nothing. Except an uncomfortable ewe with a "What are YOU looking at?" expression on her sheepy face.



It appears that the old adage is true: A watched sheep never lambs


Acorn is our friendliest ewe. Also the ewe that has had the most "issues". We had to assist in her first lambing (two lovely twins!) and in her second (one 11 pound ram lamb with enormous horn buds) and then she was cast, developed a case of dry mastitis, a cut that happened at the peak of fly season (luckily she did NOT get flystrike). We gave her a lambing break last year but now here she is: huge and miserable all over again.



Hopefully, this will be an easy spring for the old gal.

As some of you might know, we drastically reduced our flock last year. Well, truth is, we'd planned to quit with sheep altogether. But we're just too attached to these old girls.

Here's current flock:



Matriarch Copper (she's 12 now!), young ram, Ewok, and flighty gal Penny. And of course, our dear Acorn (pictured and pictured and pictured above)

But any day now, this little flock will expand.

12 comments:

Chai Chai said...

Once you have them it looks like it is hard to break the sheep habit!

Unknown said...

Aww.... lovely sheep!

And I had no idea they could live more than 12 years! WOW!

Thanks for sharing! :D

luckybunny said...

I loved when you said "a watched sheep never lambs" I've been up to the same thing! Good luck with your lambing. Acorn sure looks ready!

Perri said...

Chai Chai: It IS hard to break the habit! Who knew getting up at 6 to feed and water was addictive!

Monica: it is hard to believe. Though, counting back i realize Copper is really 10 or 11 (oops!) I should correct that!

Luckbunny: Yes ready and waiting.... 9I'm waiting anyway) Good luck with your lambs!

Pam said...

Leaving the sheep thing was hard but when Ursa prolapsed, it was the end of an era. The goats haven't had any problems sooo, I guess they can stay. It's really pathetic when you still have a 4-H projects 6 years after the kid left for college.

Anonymous said...

Wishing you luck on the lambing. This is so interesting for a city girl! Keep us posted.

Lisa said...

I still live vicariously through you so I am looking forward to hearing all about the lambs!

Perri said...

Hi Lisa! Great to see you here! How are things in Schmoopywood?

We are STILL waiting on lambs (!!!) so your vicarious living mostly consists of heading out to the barn at midnight and 5 AM to check the ewes, leaving friend's houses earlier than you'd like and hoping nothing happens while you are away for work. :) The lambs, however, will make it all worthwhile.

Scion Air Conditioner Compressor said...

Very beautiful capture, great composition and colors !!

Amy L V said...

Beautiful! We had two lambs today, Perri...I thought of you!

My apologies for taking so long to thank you for the blog award. I was tickled! Because my blog is so work-related, I don't really do the awards, but I am linking to your blogs tomorrow...just so you know. I should have thought of it before. Maybe I need a farm column on the sidebar...hmmm...

Good luck with your lambs!

Thank you again!

A.

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