Ewe Oughta Be In Pictures

Outdoor Flock

Elysian Fields Farm breeds fine, registered Dorset Horned sheep. I was delighted to have an invitation from my friend and neighbour to drop by and see their new lambs. On a beautiful, sunny afternoon, I called in for a tour and enjoyed a visit to the ‘nursery’.

Border Leicester Ewe

The first sheep I visited were outside in a pen near the driveway, and not Dorset Horned sheep, but rather a small flock of Border Leicester and Rideau-Arcott ewes.

Rideau-Arcott Ewe

What lovely, curious faces they have. Number 122 looks so gentle and wise, she reminds me of Ma in Babe. These ewes were being attended by Thunder II, a Dorset Horned ram.

Thunder II

We headed into the barn where the ewes with their lambs are lodged.

Dorset Horned lambs and ewes

Here they are! Little Dorset Horned youngsters, born in November and December. They will stay with their moms until about the beginning of March. Meanwhile, they will start eating hay and their own special lamb food.

Mairzy doats

and dozy doats

and liddle lamzy

divey

Dinnertime

The little lamb pictured above was having a meal the natural way, but one little lamb rushed over to us, hoping for a bottle. The poor little fellow had got off to a rough start in life. While his twin sibling was coping with the cold night, this little lamb was found cold and still and was brought inside to warm up, and became a bottle lamb.

Little Lamb

With the help of a heat lamp to keep him warm, he was able to return to the barn and is doing well now. Bottle lambs are not uncommon. If a ewe has triplets, one lamb is raised with bottle feedings. The young lambs need feeding every four hours, a demanding schedule for their caretaker.

These ewes, mothers-in-waiting, looked on from an adjoining pen.

Dorset Horned ewes

After visiting the lambs and ewes, we returned through the barn and saw the junior ram, Woden. He’s still growing his horns. He seemed pleased to have visitors.

Woden

Finally, here is Barcus, with his full set of curled horns. The horns sometimes require rasping if they come too close to the ram’s face. I very much enjoyed visiting the sheep. Thank you, Elysian Fields!

Barcus

Read Full Post »