My friend Jill came to visit a couple of days ago and emailed me a picture that she took of Tulip and her triplets. The picture shows what a super mom she is ... :-)
Just wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well, just very tired. My Shetlands started a lamb-slide on Saturday afternoon, when Great Plains Tulip pumped out triplet Shetland mules (BFL sire). From the birth of the first to the third one slurping up colostrum, it was just over an hour. This ewe is one of the best moms I have ever seen. These lambs are growing like weeds and have awesome looking fleeces.
17 more Shetlands have lambed ... six of them since midnight last night! I am pretty happy with what I am seeing out there. Lots of spots. Lots of very even and crimpy looking fleeces. Great conformation.
So far, I have had eight Shetland rams born and 19 Shetland ewes. My experience tells me that the boys will catch up ... so in the remaining 25 or so yet to lamb, I am expecting a LOT of rams ... :-)
Photos will follow when I can stop building more jugs to keep up. Eight ewes have lambed in the last 24 hours and there are several more looking like they are ready to reserve barn space!
I forgot to mention that I don't shear my ewes until the end of May/first of June. It is a personal preference that just seems to work here. I do, however, have my shearer come and 'crutch' the girls so that things are cleaned up for lambing, and so that lambs have good access to udders. This will be the fourth year following this practice, and lambing has been so much easier.