[Ag-eq] The latest from the BlanchRanch

[Jewel]

A little brief to be called a bulletin I thought, hence the change in the subject heading.
I have  had a rather frustrating winter with the sheep.  I have top quality hay for them, to which 
they have, free, unimpeded access, but will they eat it!  Not on your nelly!  and don't ask me where 
to look for "your nelly" because I haven't the foggiest!
The first lamb was born on August 6th:  a very early one for this part of New Zealand.
It had a very rough introduction into the world:  to start with, it was born during a fairly heavy 
snowfall, on the top of the floodbank, the most exposed part of the entire property, and then once 
it had gained its feet and was staggering around on its wobbly little legs, it stumbled over the 
edge of the bank, and tobogganned right to the bottom, and then went on right through the sheep 
netting fence, so there it was, child on one side and mamma on the other.
I don't know how long things remained in that state, but then, Keith who lives just over my back 
boundary and who has a clear view of the back paddock and bank from his cottage, saw what had 
happened and reunited mother and child who must be a tough little bugger as he/she has survived and 
appears to be doing well.
Yesterday afternoon, the next ewe had 3 lambs and I was quite prepared to take one and bottle-feed 
it, but it looks, today, as though that won't be necessary.
So, to date, I have a lambing rate of 200%:  4 lambs from 2 ewes!

         Jewel