The struggle is real, you can do something with all your strength and still ask why it didn’t seem like it was enough. I can think of times I saw danger or a pending illness for the sheep and acted in a timely manner but still feel gutted when a ewe or a lamb dies…
The enormous belly on the third and pregnant ewe walking away makes me a bit concerned. Yes, sheep can have triplets, septuplets even, but my experience on poor pastures of Hawaii is that singles are the norm. A set of live triplets will create a hierarchy, and the weakest one will be a runt. This…
Yes that does look like a spaceship. And out of all the 90 sheep in the background, she came forward. Sheep can be greedy and keep looking for a handout. But then again she did come back!
This mature ewe just baffled me. She always lambs without difficulty. She was in good condition. Yet when I got her to her feet I saw the mucous plug, but hardly any sign of labor. Sensing a problem, I was baffled when the head and one foot was correctly positioned. I went ahead and delivered…
In Hawaii, grass can harbor larvae known as Barberpole worm all year long because there is no winter freeze to limit their reproduction cycle. It affects young lambs and nursing mothers to the degree they will die if the internal worm load is high enough. Prevention is key, so I move sheep onto fresh grass…
Today is a challenging day. I will teach for a little bit as a sheep farmer to 18 people. It’s an adventure, hands on experience to feed, move and medicate the sheep against internal parasites and tetanus. The grass greened up and it makes for a beautiful setting. I’m asking the Lord to make it…