Lambs

 This is Mary Ann holding Beatrix.  Beatrix and her brother Bixby were born to Trixie last Saturday afternoon in the Pole Barn.

Lambing time is an exciting and challenging time.  It is amazing that ewes know what to do.  In most cases there is no midwife assistance required, though it can be difficult to stand back and wait for nature to do its work.

A mother about to have her lamb has a very pink butt, which is a bit swollen.  Her sides are bulging and she spends a lot of time lying down.

Often the first signs that labor is coming soon is that the ewe is not interested in grain and hay.  Within hours of that you may begin to see the ewe frequently lying down and alternately standing up, like she can not quite get comfortable. She paws the ground, picking a spot to have her lambs, which hopefully is a clean area in the barn. You eventually see a bubble of liquid hanging off her rear end, and within the hour you may see two little feet and a nose, indicating the position of the lamb is good for an easy birth.  Within 10 minutes or so the lamb is born.

Most first time mothers have only one lamb.  Subsequent years they might have twins, except for Finnsheep, which can have up to six babies.  This year for some reason we have had two first time mothers with twins.  Willow is an example.  Her babies were born just before I went to the barn for early morning rounds, around 5am.  As I approached the barn I heard frantic bleating, as if Willow was saying "Help,  Help!"  Apparently she had Bessie first, who was lying down, all cleaned off.  She was trying to clean up Betty, who stood there very wet.  I think she was overwhelmed with the task of taking care of two, having never given birth before.


With Mary Ann's help we moved them into a lambing jug, which is a stall with straw bedding, a feed tray, and a water bucket.  This is where they stay for about 48 hours while they get acquainted with each other and feeding is well established.

 Within 24 hours we give them an ID tag on one ear. This is for positive identification for things like vaccination.

At the same time we dock their tails using a tight rubber band that cuts of the circulation to the tail so that in a few weeks it falls off.







When they are a few days old, often when the lambing jug is needed for a new mother and baby, they are moved to the nursery and given the opportunity to mix with others lambs of similar age.  In the nursery they will learn to recognize their own mothers, since if a lamb approaches a ewe that is not her mother she will be swiftly butted away. 

Lambs in the Nursery

After a few days there they will go out to behind the barn where they are introduced to the electric fence.  Being curious creatures they nose up to the wire and quickly learn the fence is not to be touched.  By this time it is fun to watch them jumping around on their springy legs and play king of the mountain on the manure piles.  We try to handle them daily so they will grow up to be friendly and come to us when we go to the pasture.

This is "Boo", Bea's sister.  Naming is a fun part of the season, often beginning with a list from the grandchildren.  We started naming with plants and flowers the first year.  Then we went to "M"'s , when the first lamb of the season was born on Marty's birthday.  Then we discovered it was easy to tell when a lamb was born if we followed the alphabet in order.  The next year after  'z'  we began at the beginning.  This year is the "B" year.  So far we have Bee, Boo, Bernard, Barbara, Bessie, Betty, Beatrix, Bixby, Bob, Bubbie, and Bellamena.  Sometimes we name a baby in relation to it's mother, for example we have Amena, her daughter Willamena, and her granddaughter Bellamena.

We hope you will visit the farm in person when you can.  We will try let you watch the lambs grow. on the web site too.

Warmly, Marty and Mary Ann

Think Positive...cold nights, days in the 40's

We want to say Thank You to Nel Bernard, the stained glass artist that created this beautiful window that is on the door to our new sugar house. Maine Maple Weekend will be March 24th and 25th.  We will be open both days and start off with a pancake breakfast at 8am.  We will serve our own maple syrup and maple sausage.

We have over 200 taps in, about the same time as usual, the first week in March.  An the weather NEEDS to be below freezing at night and in the 40's during the day.  Usually that kind of weather lasts for about 3 weeks.  The new evaporator is in place and has been tested with water...ready to go.  So far we have about 35 gallons of sap and we need at least 100 gallons to begin boiling.

There is snow on the ground and our draft horse, Bubba has been out with the pung making a trail for collecting sap. Most of the taps are the smaller diameter kind, better for the health of the trees, and the sap runs just as well. We have taps on trees around the new fields out back and 55 gallon buckets to hold sap carried from tree to tree using 5 gallon buckets.  Willing workers have been joyfully assisting with tapping and we hope we will have lots of sap to carry.

We have ewes in the barn, almost as big as the barn, and expect lambs any day now.

And we have a stinky skunk or two that we are hoping to relocate as we catch them.

We are open Sundays and Mondays 12-4 and welcome the opportunity for children to learn about maple syrup production and adults to remember their childhood experiences from this time of year.
Please come for a visit.

Yarn and Yoga Retreat with Wendy Youmans

Last weekend we had a group of wonderful women gathered to share in yoga sessions and yarn projects.  We began with a yoga session with Wendy who offers gentle yoga for everyone.  She offers an approach to yoga that is sensitive to the beginners needs, yet challenging enough for experienced participants.

Then we enjoyed our first meal together (mostly vegetarian) followed by spinning and knitting by the wood stove.  We shared some stories and began to get to know one another.


Early risers on Saturday enjoyed helping with chores including feeding the sheep, draft horse, and chickens, and collecting fresh eggs. After a breakfast of pancakes, maple syrup and maple sausage from the farm, we enjoyed more knitting and spinning.  Yoga before lunch, and a group settled in to try out needle felting after that.

One learned to spin, and ply, while another created a design for a tam using hand dyed yarn from Timmy and Twilight, (two of our ewes). Show and tell was dispersed throughout the weekend with kudos for each creation. Several enjoyed spinning blended batts and some were learned to knit.  After supper we enjoyed a story read by Bonnie about bizarre things that happened on a cold snowy night.  Marty and Mary Ann shared about how they met, how they chose to come to Maine to live, and how they began farming.  There was laughter, openess, and a developing sense of community.

Sunday am,  chores again, more gentle yoga followed by a delicious brunch with farm fresh eggs, biscuits, and fresh fruit.  As preparations were made to go back to their homes, everyone expressed a sense of renewal and regeneration that exceeded their expectations. Several became members of our Fiber CSA, which provided yarn for future projects and a connection that will bring them back to the farm throughout the year.  Here are some highlights from feedback we have received since their return home ....

"I'll always remember my weekend with you as one of the best of my time in Maine. Truly magical!"

" I agree that it was a wonderful weekend. The yoga, the companionship of such talented and creative women, the food, the fiber, and the sheep! Oh those lovely sheep."

"Many thanks for hosting a truly fantastic weekend! It was just what I needed-to hang out with a group of amazing women, eat great food, enjoy a beautiful location, relax by the fire and knit, and do lots of yoga! The two of you have created such a welcoming space, both in your home and in the Tesseract. I am inspired by your lives, full of intention and purpose. Something I am striving to create.Yoga was lovely and I would not change a thing. Wendy is a gifted yoga teacher who can met people wherever they are."

We are planning to have more weekend yoga opportunities.  The next one is a Mother Daughter sleepover with  needle felting to be held Saturday/Sunday April 21-22, 2012.  

And we are thinking about a fall Yoga and Yarn Retreat. 

Let us know if you are interested.