Sheep 101 - Sheep Life I

How sheep are raised varies by farm and geographic location. On this page, you'll learn what it's like to be a sheep or lamb on the farm where George lives: The Baalands in Clear Spring, Maryland USA.
A New Year The "sheep" year starts the second week of October when the rams are put in with the ewes for breeding. Most ewes will get pregnant in the first 17 days (the length of one heat cycle). The flock will stay on pasture until the grass runs out, usually around Christmas time.	Breeding Season
The Hoop House	The Hoop House During the winter months, the sheep are housed in a "hoop house," a greenhouse-like structure with an arched metal frame and fabric covering. They eat hay and grain. On some days, they are let out for exercise.
Lambing Season Most of the lambs are born in March. Ewes give birth to their lambs in a large community pen. Sometimes, if the weather is nice, the ewes will have their lambs outside. Ewes usually lamb on their own, without any assistance or interference. Most of the ewes give birth to twins or triplets. The lambs are quick to get up and have their first meal.
Lambing Jugs	Lambing Jugs After a litter of lambs is born, they are put in a small pen (5 ft. x 5 ft.) called a "jug" with their mother. Being together in the jug helps the lambs and ewe bond and provides for easy observation by the shepherd. Within the first 24 hours, the lambs are weighed and eartagged. The birth date, sex, weight, and ear tag number of each lamb is recorded. At the Baalands, lambs are not docked or castrated. Lambs will generally stay in the jugs for 1 to 3 days.
Mixing Pens After several days, the lambs and ewes are moved to mixing pens: larger pens with approximately four ewes and their lambs. After being butted a few times by other ewes, the lambs quickly learn how to recognize their own mothers. Once they get used to each other, the lambs will huddle together to sleep and keep warm.	Nap Time
	All Together After a week or so in the mixing pens, the group(s) of lambs and ewes are put with the rest of the ewes and their lambs. The lambs will be able to go anywhere in the barn, ewes nursing triplet lambs are usually separated from ewes nursing twins and singles, because they receive extra grain to produce milk for their extra lamb.
Creep Feeding By the time the lambs are 10 days old, they will have access to a creep area for creep feeding. A creep is a pen that is fenced so that young animals can enter but adults cannot. Creep feed is feed given to young nursing lambs. At the Baalands, the creep feed is a mixture of soybean meal and cracked corn. The lambs will also have access to fresh water, high quality hay, and minerals in the creep area. Even when they are not eating, the creep area is a place where the lambs like to hang out.	Eating Creep Feed

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. . New Words . .

Hoop house - a "barn" with an arched metal frame and fabric covering. Similar to a greenhouse.

Jug - a small pen where a ewe and her newborn lambs are kept for a few days after birth.

Dock - to cut off the tail.

Castrate - remove the testicals of a male animal.

Litter - a group of offspring produced at one birth.

Mixing pen - a pen where a small number of ewes and their lambs are kept before mixing them with whole flock.

Creep - a pen that is fenced so that young animals can enter but adults cannot.

Creep feed - feed given to young animals isolated in a creep.

What is it like to be a sheep?

A Day in the Life of a Sheep