Thursday, April 11, 2013

Tiny Triumphs, Tiny Tragedies

As the lambing goes, we do our best to serve our sheepy mistresses, and they do their best to bring their lambs up and into the world.  It is always one of the most heart-warming of sights, watching a newborn lamb rise to wobbly legs, and while the mother licks and grumbles encouragement, totter to the udder for those first nourishing sips.  In our first picture, we see Caroline and her newest offspring, while below we see other new mothers.  There are no few; we already have nine lambs trotting around the pasture.  Somewhat frustratingly, given our need to rebuild our flock, only one is a ewe lamb so far.



Here, more's the pity, is a picture of a ewe lamb who, as it turns out, did not make it.  Sometimes a lamb just does not get the knack of suckling, and we have yet to discover how to educate them on the point.  Her mother is eager and willing, and there's no failure of mothering.  Just a lamb who will not join our flock, nor respond to her mother's calls again.