Why the farm waits until December to put rams with the flock
posted on
December 9, 2022
Why do we wait until the beginning of December to put rams with the flock at Sparrow Hill Farm?
While it's much later than when many producers put rams with their flock, we wait for one particular reason. We lamb on pasture. And we want the environment to be warm and welcoming when the little lambs make their appearance the beginning of May.
This year, we brought a gorgeous ram to the farm on Sunday (December 4). He is going to be responsible for the flock of 30 ewes. It's a little wild that one good ram is actually able to breed up to 50 ewes. And it will only take a few days. He works so hard (willingly). And he's so single minded that he will actually lose a lot of weight in the process.
In nature, you can observe a courtship process among some species. I'm not sure sheep do any of this. If they do, it's just a few seconds of getting acquainted. The mating process is much more of a frenzy.
All this to say, we'll have more little lambs on the pasture the beginning of May when the weather is warmer and more welcoming.
As always, eat well and stay healthy!
