February and March bring lambs and goat kids to the farm! It really is my favorite time.

Living in the South means that we experience all four seasons in ONE WEEK during pre-spring. We may be at 30 degrees on Monday and 70 by Friday. This weather takes a toll on my sinuses and I battle the weather and mud to get to the babies.

This year, we moved the sheep and goats to a new paddock for the winter and birthing season. Grass is short so everyone is on hay right now, therefore we have them in a sacrificial paddock where they can freshen (birth) in private and without the worry of a predator grabbing a baby. Another worry with having swine on the farm is them smelling the new birth (and blood) and eating a newborn. Moving the sheep/goats allow us to keep the afterbirth and young away from the pigs as well. This method has proven to be effective for our farm. We are able to provide our moms with extra protein and minerals while nursing without other animals taking it from them. Our moms and babies are all on Shegogg Mineral, fresh hay and a species specific protein tub. We are pleased with the development this year. We also look forward to getting everyone back on pasture! We are currently planting supplemental greens in our paddocks. We’ve recently attended several classes about forages and plantings. (Winter is a good time for expanding your knowledge or taking refresher classes). We look forward to putting what we’ve learned into practice!!
We’ll let you know how it goes!

Until next time,

Stacey