Easter 2011

It's been an Easter to remember. I set out to make it a low-key, restful and relaxing weekend with no strings and no stress.

Yesterday, I took some photos of the boys working sheep. I hadn't taken any pics in a long time so it was long overdue. The pics are in a Picasa album, here. Rime and Coal worked with a group of 4-month-old lambs plus one older ram lamb. I had never taken the lambs out alone without their mothers before. I did not work them very long. It made for an interesting group to work. It's hard to sort off a group to work these days, when most of the sheep are ewe and lamb pairs. So, things get a bit creative. Rime also worked with the same group after they had a rest break; he found the lambs to be more of a challenge which makes sense. Chiefie also got a turn on the sheep; I sorted off a larger group of older sheep for him to work and only had him out a few minutes. I am afraid that Chiefie will do more than his 9-year-old body should really allow, but he loves having his turn.

We have been watching and waiting for a little 3 to 4 year old ewe to lamb. She was huge and hanging down so low as to appear most uncomfortable. This morning she went into labor. I watched her a long time from a long distance but she was watching me in return and I knew she wouldn't have her baby with us there. So we went off to work dogs elsewhere and came back later. When we came back she had twin lambs and one was dead. The other one was not very vigorous but we got a lesson in tube feeding a lamb with colostrum (and milking a ewe). Tomorrow will tell the tale whether the lamb has made it or not. This ewe was not a first-timer but has always had singles in the past. Because she was so huge we were concerned that she would either have twins with this outcome, or a huge single that she wouldn't be able to have on her own. Anyway it's good to have the dilemma behind us and we've done what we could for the remaining ram lamb.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. It was an Easter to remember.