Don't ask me why (maybe ask a veterinarian) but the onset of stormy weather during lambing time for some reason triggers ready-to-birth ewes to begin the birthing process. With all of the dry weather through December and early January, and with "lambing season" begun in early January, there were a significant number of ewes in the barn and ready to give birth ...but just holding on. As soon as this storm hit yesterday the lambs began to arrive in quantity. You might say it has been "raining lambs".
Here you see the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center's main barn completely filled with sheep. The ewes in the center isle are in "jugs" and they all have newborn lambs. The "jug" pens allow the ewe to increase her maternal bond with the lamb(s) for about 24 hours until they are placed in small groups on the right-hand side of the barn. The ewes on the left side of the barn are still awaiting to give birth.
There is a whole lot of hands-on management that takes place during these times, including feeding of the ewes, moving newborns and ewes to jugs, cleaning jugs in between uses, strawing down jugs and pens, monitoring each ewe to insure that it has milk flowing and the lambs are nursing, and hauling ewes and lambs to the fields via a trailer. It is a busy time at HREC!
