October 22, 2024
The thrill of new baby lambs keeps most shepherds excited in their work. For me this is coming in the middle of December. However, more work and tension come at the same time. The moms will need their vaccination soon because diseases like tetanus lurks in the soil. My one tetanus case happened because of a dog attack. Other farmers on this island have seen it among their sheep. For less than one dollar, the vaccine gives the lambs immunity when they drink their first milk, their mother’s colostrum.
Other challenges are mis-mothered lambs, ewes stuck on their back, and problems with delivering the lamb, but the joy of seeing these new ones racing across the field makes my heart sing.
