A lamb story
Truth is, I don’t like sheep stories anymore. I write them for five years now and start to get really tired with it. Even more from little problem lambs. So many, many, many years now. It’s not that I’m not taking care anymore. I do. To look after every lamb that wants to life, is my duty and honour. Sometimes this needs hard decisions and be sure I always try to do my best and am never ever unfeeling.
Yesterday’s story (lamb stories for me, always a sheep tale too).
It was the first day of taking over the flock and tending them. I just tended them two times last fall. So it is a very, very frustrating experience. I call the sheep, they look at me and run in the other direction. So I have to work the dogs and press the flock by force into obedience. I have really good dogs, and mostly it worked. Just the few who split away, jumped the fences, run into the woods, let me search for n hour und didn’t come back until evening.
Sheep need a long time to trust you, but if you really gained it, they are true to you what ever will come. In that way I am a sheep. And I so love to be the leader of the flock, feel their affection and the orienting after my saying. So even knowing all that, I am right in this frustrating moment. The flock has some new born lambs, not much round about 50, no real lambing season. It make things worse, cause Ylva, my main dog, is afraid of new and overly protective moms. So, most of the work falls on Lillebror, he is very strong willed, but not so exact. I already start loosing my voice.
In all this trouble, I made out two lambs who seemed very dehydrated. I catched them and for both was clear, that there wasn’t a mom anymore. So they should come home. But first things first, it got hotter by the minute. So I manoeuvred the flock to the pasture, were this romantic, peaceful pic in when and where was from.
1,5 hours later, the sheep decided that it was way to hot for food and left on their own. But sure, they forgot two sleeping lambs. As I woke them, they didn’t saw the ewes and surly run the other direction. Yeah, catching lambs in this lovely weather! Finally I got them and could carry this sweeties to there mothers. Water time. Lucky enough, I already filled the tubs. Some Idiot had run his car against our water hydrant and crushed it.
Yea, ok, I was longer gone then planned after all.
Finally I could pack the motherless and drove home. There, some milk wormed and the two were immediately drinking from the bottle. Perfect.
Midday, time do do nothing but suffer the heat.
It’s evening until it is cooled down a little. So I was back at the pen, did some new fence building for dessert later.
Now the sheep. Two newborns, no mothers in sight. It is a very natural scheep breed, so they do place their lambs like deer somewhere. Nothing to worry about. We are gone, back to shepherding romantic. And it really is! Finally the sun gone down, cool air, grazing sheep, working dogs and me, just being.
The next ewe gives birth, twins.
And, yeah, everything is perfect. Easy birth, healthy lambs, enough to drink. That’s what I still love watching. A loving mum with her beloved babies.
It’s getting dark, back to the pen. Of course, I have to carry the newbes.
Feierabend.
Oh, this one day is already to much to read. But I think you are getting a picture.
the two newborns from yesterday afternoon, today really no caring moms. So more bottle lambs
right now
@achilleas7 you asked for a lamb story, not sure this is what you wished for
@framos1792 you asked for that days history. Never ask an author ( now I can call me so! )
Now I have to water the sheep again @anomalia