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I’d also like to first throw out a HUGE thank you for all the support I got yesterday for my guest post on Kathy’s Writing and Illustrating site.  Don’t forget to follow her site, (1) because it’s really fantastic, CHUCK FULL of excellent information for writers, like today she posted about a great opportunity!  and (2) because I may be posting again!

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated all your great feedback! YOU ROCK!!     😆     

Now on to my regular post.  

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Sigh…..     Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can —  ACK!  

I just can’t stand waiting so long!  My baited breath is turning me blue in the face!

At this point, I’ve done some digging, and there are two schools of thought on putting the ewes in the jugs BEFORE they’ve lambed.  Some say it’s great, and helps facilitate the immediate bonding between ewe and lamb.  Some say… leave them in the pasture, it’s more natural.  THEN put them in the jug with their lamb after.

I think at this point, since it’s warming up (FINALLY), I’m going to let them out during the day.  It just doesn’t FEEL right to have them held up in their little jugs all day for so many days now.  But I’ve gone back and forth in my mind…

Decisions… Decisions….

That’s the thing with being a NEW farmer.  The right answers are never as clear I want them to be.  And really, often there are no real “RIGHT” answers.  

I just have to listen to every scrap of information I can get… and eventually make my OWN decision, right OR wrong.

So that’s what I’m doing today.  The girls go OUT!  I’ll still bring them inside if I have to be gone all day, or if we have a very cold night.  But I’m opening the gates today.  Mother nature didn’t put ewes in jugs to lamb!!  😉

FYI:  I’m still going to need the jugs.  As soon as I see that they’ve lambed I will put them in their jug for 24-48 hours so they have some one-on-one time with their lamb.  The jugs themselves are great.  But I don’t like seeing them in there for this long a period of time.

I love sharing my debacles with you!!  Farming is a learning experience for SURE, no matter how many years it’s been done.  But for me, often tripping over myself, desperate to do it RIGHT, I have to remind myself that farming really is an ART, and sometimes you just have to close your eyes, and trust your GUT!

So excuse me… now that I’ve talked myself into it, I’m going to go let the girls out!  (gets up and walks confidently outside)

There, that’s better.  They look much happier now: