We had been looking to double our dairy sheep flock, going from one Margo to two. That is easier said that done. No one that I know of around here has dairy sheep, so I settle in, combing through Craigslist ads to find what we're looking for.
Our options were very limited. We could either drive 5 hours one way north or 5 hours west to get exactly what we were looking for (just one dairy sheep) or we could drive 3 hours east for something that's not exactly perfect. Yesterday we went east and came home with 2 more Margos.
These ladies are both a year and half old, have never been breed, which means they've never been milked and that they are kind of a risky investment. But they're young and while they are a little skittish, don't seem to really mind me that much. They've also been through a lot, surviving a wild fire last summer together, which is why their owner did not want them separated.
Right now they are in a pen together, away from the rest of the animals. I've been going in their pen today trying to hand feed them chow (they are NOT into eating that!) and petting them. They like to be scratched on the face and top of the head, just like Margo does, so hopefully I'll win this pair over soon.
So how did we end up with even more sheep yesterday? Margo had her lambs without us!
Margo had been acting like she might go into labor on Friday night, but Saturday morning there were no babies and we had told the leader of the hippy commune we were buying the sheep from that we'd be there by 2. We had to go.
Pretty much none of our friends know enough about animals for me to feel like I could ask them to check on my sheep that might be in labor, so I just hoped for the best and prepared for the worst. When we got home Margo and her twins were healthy and happy in the pasture. Last year, before we got Margo, she had a still born lamb and I was very nervous about her delivery this year, but she didn't need us at all!
I'm guessing she had them between noon and 3. When we got home at 6 the lambs were cleaned off, dry, feeding, and walking around-just like they should be! She had a boy and girl, bringing our count to 6 boys and 2 girls.
These two are the cutest lambs we've ever had. They're a weird mix of Margo who is wooly and their dad, who is a hair sheep. The girl is a tall and skinny clone of Margo and the most snuggly lamb ever.
We only have Cupid left to have her kid(s), then the real work of daily milking starts.
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