Down on the Farm: Tending Peggy

All our sheep have personalities on the farm, but some of them stand out more than others. We have many great memories of one of the first members of our flock — Edelweiss — who was a triplet that was rejected by her mother, living on the farm of Kara’s mentor. She was in a dire condition when we got the phone call, a plea of essentially take this thing and see what you can do, or it’s going to die here.

The fragile, injured lamb came home with us and lived in a cardboard box by the side of Kara’s bed, following her everywhere like a puppy. She did eventually acclimate to living in the barn with sheep, though she would have gladly been right back in the house if you had given her half a chance!

She rode in our minivan to music lessons and other events. In essence, Edelweiss became a family celebrity, and everyone loved to see her and pet her velvety black nose. She had such a great, friendly and laid-back personality. What a character!

Despite her harsh treatment from her own mother, Edelweiss grew to become an excellent mother herself, and her genetics are in much of our flock still today, even though she lived many, many years ago.

This month, we are in our second wave of lambing season, with a dozen primes (first-time mommas) bred. So far, four have delivered their adorable little ones. When it is a ewe’s (momma sheep) first time, she can be very confused and not know how this new way of being works, or she might be nervous about all these little creatures at her feet and what to do with them. Kara must spend lots of time in the jug pen with them, helping the ewe acclimate and the babies stabilize.

Kara was in the jug pen with one ewe when the momma stepped on her baby girl’s leg! One of those freakish accidents that happen so fast. The poor thing was limping and then the foot began to swell. Uh-oh, that isn’t good.

Scooping up the newborn, Kara wrapped her in a towel and scurried off to town to Leading Edge Vet, where the techs took an X-ray that showed a clean fracture and Dr. Marty Anderson expertly casted her leg. The poor lamb was quite scared, but the care was excellent and Kara stayed right with her as much as possible.

But this meant that the little one would not be able to return to her mother. She had been gone too long, and the cast severely hampered her mobility in her infancy, so it would not be safe for her to be underfoot. While the lamb’s leg would heal, she would have to be a bottle baby.

“She reminds me so much of Edelweiss!” Mom commented while we gave the lamb’s little red-brown nose pets and scratches.

She gives a plaintive, tiny baaaaa.

It did not take long for the small creature to bond with Kara as her mother and, of course, it was time for a name.

“Pogo?” I asked, thinking that with the one stiffened leg she might have to jump like she was on a pogo stick.

“Peg?” Steve tried, like a pirate with a peg leg.

And Peggy stuck.

Now it is Peggy’s turn to go everyone, riding with Kara out to move poultry in the pasture, hanging out in a tub while she works on projects. A few days older now, she is managing much better with her cast, scampering behind Kara during the morning’s events. For a moment, the little one got confused and shadowed me for a bit, wanting to keep up.

Also, this morning Kara dug through her records and found that seven generations back was indeed Edelweiss, and she’s a perfect match of that one’s personality. As Peggy heals, she will make an excellent sheep. Right now, Finlee, our sheepdog, thinks she’s just another buddy in the house!

Sheep, like all mammals, need a vibrant and loving social life when they are little, otherwise a lone lamb will cry and cry, growing neurotic and refusing to thrive even with the presence of food, warmth and shelter. Tending Peggy is a whole lot more work than if her mother could raise her, but making sure that she has the best chance in the face of her injury is the most important now.

Kara has a little lamb. It’s not as white as snow, but everywhere that Kara went, that lamb was sure to go. She sure is cute. It’s worth going the extra mile for the animals we tend. See you down on the farm sometime.