Raising sheep is a rewarding experience. The most joy comes when the little lambs are born and then watching them grow. The hardest part is taking them to market. I am thankful that we were able to sell most of this year's lambs to nearby farms. Zero went to a farm in Madison. Luke went to a farm in Racine. All of our ewe lambs went to a farm in Kirkland, IL. And Bullwinkle to a farm in Waterford, WI. Today, Timmy, Lazarus and Bronco spent their last day on earth here at beautiful Bear Valley Farm, their home. They had a great life, filled with lush pastures, barnyard friends, safe and warm accommodations at night, and a stress free environment. They were always together, this little herd of rams, together to the very end. Now they will fulfill their noble purpose and provide food for many appreciative customers. Each batch of lambs that we raise is unique and full of interesting characters; this year was no exception...
Bronco was born to December and had a very sweet disposition. He was by far the most friendly of all our ram lambs this year. In the mornings, Bronco would often stay behind with me in the barn and just linger whilst I gave him a little snuggle and pat on the head. His wool was very thick and soft, especially around the sides of his face. That's how we could easily identify him. He also looked very much like his mother, with that same poof of wool on his head. We named him Bronco because he was born during half-time at the Superbowl. The Bronco's won that game, and this little guy won our hearts. Goodbye Bronco, you were a great little sheep...
Lazarus was our little miracle lamb. Hopelessly stuck for over an hour at birth, I was finally able to pull him out, but Lazarus didn't start breathing until nearly 4 minutes later. We thought we had lost him. His birth weight was nearly 18 pounds! Holy moly he was a big boy (I think one of the reasons his mother, Smooth, couldn't deliver him all the way). Lazarus grew strong and healthy. He always liked to rub his head into my knee. Toward the later months, a single horn started to grow on his head, which made him easy to identify. I would characterize this little ram as just a wee bit stupid. Lazarus had this way about him that seemed to indicate dumbness, even more than the average sheep. It's possible he had some innoxia to the brain during his birth which may account for his "offness" Goodbye, Lazarus, you've given us some wonderful memories.
Timmy's market weight was a whopping 150 lbs at 7 months, by far our largest ram this year. I don't know why he outgrew his twin brother Lazarus so much, but that's the way it is. Each sheep is different, even twins. After all the pulling and stretching to get Lazarus out, Timmy just sort of fell out when he was born, much to my surprise. Smooth didn't even have to push or anything.
While I was tending to Lazarus, I heard this "plop" noise, like someone had dropped a bowl of chicken gizzards on the kitchen floor---and there he was. Like his brother, Timmy was also a little dumb for a sheep. But still lovable. Though not as friendly as Bronco, Timmy still liked to interact with me, often given to "head bump" play. Goodbye little big Timmy. You were a great sheep too.
While I was tending to Lazarus, I heard this "plop" noise, like someone had dropped a bowl of chicken gizzards on the kitchen floor---and there he was. Like his brother, Timmy was also a little dumb for a sheep. But still lovable. Though not as friendly as Bronco, Timmy still liked to interact with me, often given to "head bump" play. Goodbye little big Timmy. You were a great sheep too.
The last photo