Look what I found in the sheep shed today…

I was not expecting Betty to lamb for a couple more weeks. Good thing I love surprises. This first time mom took care of business all by herself.

I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary when I was in the pasture working this morning. We took a break around 2 or so for some lunch. When I went out about 3:30 to see about maybe grooming a dog (it’s a daily test to see when the Maremmas start blowing their coats) the two new ewes would not shut up. They just kept Baaaaa-ing, over and over, and so very loud! I went to see if they had water or if there was anything else I could do to quiet them. At the sound of my approach everyone showed up except Betty.

My lovely Betty is always curious and as soon as she hears my voice she has to come see. She doesn’t really like to be touched but she’s a big fan of the treats I carry in my pockets. Especially lately, she’s like my Labrador the ways she’s constantly looking for snacks. So it was very odd for her to be absent. I called her twice, and still nothing. That made me very curious about what would keep her from a potential handout.

When I opened the gate the ewes all looked into the shed, so naturally I peeked around the corner too. That’s when I saw the most beautiful little girl blinking right back at me. Standing there on wobbly little legs, taking one tentative step and then another, this adorable little girl was moving around her mommy looking for her first snack.

She has her mamma’s dainty little face and her baby fuzz is so long and curly. I can’t wait to see how she looks when she dries. My daughter named her Boo, after herself, and the cute little girl in Monsters, Inc. So far, Mom and baby seem to be doing great. Betty is an excellent and very attentive mother.

The dry pen has become the nursery with just the two nursing moms and lambs in it, for now anyway. The new ewes that are drying off are roaming the pasture along with 68 who I honestly believe still has a couple weeks to go (where have I heard that before).