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Our Lambs

Tillari Lambs

There is something about the time of year when lambs are born. It seems to signify that winter is almost over and life will spring back into the country. Growing up in North Queensland the opportunity to touch a lamb, let alone raise one was a foreign concept. I remember seeing my first sheep (even if it was dead and possibly was actually wool rather than a sheep as such), on the side of the road near Boulia. It was nothing more than a ball of fleece, but I was so excited. When we moved down here, all we owned two dogs. I mentioned to our next door neighbour one day that if he ever had any little lambs that the mothers couldn't look after, I would love to bottle feed them.

Well its funny how you look back on things, as I am sure it wasn't more than two days later that Bill rung me back and said he had some twins that wouldn't amount to much anyway, so I could have them if I wanted. And that is how the three gorgeous tiny little white lambs came to be on the floor of the passenger seat in our hilux.

I never realised how three little creatures could change your life. Dalby, was the little white ewe lamb with the soft curled wool. How she ended up with her name I still don't remember, but now life seems to rotate around Dalb. Then there was Dangles, who at the time was a little ram lamb and now no longer has the anatomy for which he was named. And lastly Stamp, who would ferociously stamp down her front foot at the dogs when they came too close to her or Dangles. She looked after him so well as a lamb. Now they still hang around together.

Well it was a hard beginning. They didn't want to drink from a rubber teat or milk that didn't taste anything like the milk that their mother had fed them with. And the nights were cold and I couldn't have anything happening to my little lambs. So I bought them in and put them in a box near the fire place so they wouldn't get cold..of course they didn't want to stay in the box. I am not sure how many phone calls I made to Bill in the first few days to make sure they were ok. It worried me to no end what would happen if the lambs died. But they did drink and Dalby was first. Dalby was always different to Stamp and Dangles. Dalby was sort of the left out point in the triangle which meant she spent more time with her 'maaa'.

Dalby, when she was little would run after the motorbike. Lambs can jump grids I have seen it. It is amazing what they can jump and how fast they can run when they think their 'maaa' is leaving them behind. And I thought it was goats that ate everything in the garden. Apparently this is true too of lambs as I quickly saw my succulents disappear my hanging baskets, not quiet hanging as low anymore and getting shorter as the lambs grew and my new rose bushes never did ever get new shoots - that I saw anyway.

Dalby, Dangles and Stamp were about 6 or so months old when Shadow joined the family. Shadow was the most stunning little black ewe lamb, all by her lonesome at the pig and calf market. I didn't see her until after she had been to auction, but she had been passed in and I bought her from her owner. I thought it was amazing that I now had a little black ewe lamb as well, but there may have been other powers to play, but that is a story Dalby may divulge in her tales.

Shadow is an amazing animal. She needs to meet everyone who comes to the farm and loves to head butt piglets. It is one of her favorite past times. Slash and Socks joined the family some months later followed by Checker whose owners were no longer able to keep her. The sheep family didn't grow for some time. I decided that I would prefer have a full heard of sheep that had been bottle raised, simply as they were much easier to handle and I loved knowing each of their own personalities and likes. I also wanted to move towards a breed that were suitable to our climate and country, meaning that they did not have to have their tails docked. I wanted to be able to work towards raising a heard of sheep that could produce me ethical lamb to sell.

So as crazy as I was told that I was for doing it, I put a little add in the Traders Mate seeking orphaned lambs that needed bottle feeding. I didn't want babies taken from their mothers, but I had the time to bottle raise the lambs instead of them being left to die.

Amazingly a lovely lady from near Toowoomba rung and said she had had difficulties with her herd lambing and had many orphaned. I was so excited. When I went to Sandra and Len's place, I was overwhelmed by their beautiful coloured flock. I had been looking for a little ram lamb for a long time that could father the girls lambs when they were old enough. Saturn was the most breath taking little lamb I have ever seen. It was almost totally black apart from a white tip on his tail and was as soft as Satin and as fate had it wouldn't need shearing and there was no reason for his tail to be docked.

Then there was a little febile ewe Lamb who is now known as Lace. She was not a well little lamb as her mother had difficulties giving birth to her. It took many weeks of persistently feeding her with a syringe until she finally learnt how to suck. There were many times where Tim was sure she wouldn't make it, but she did. She hasn't looked back since.

The last of the trio, Kanga - named for his amazing ability to morph into a Kangaroo at about 7pm each night and bounce around the verandah.

It wasn't too long after, that Moscow and Buck joined the family, followed by Banjo (Saturn's twin brother), Teddy, Samboy, Devil, The Twins, Duchy and Queenie, Ruff and Smooth and Little Chip.

The real story behind what is happening on the farm we only find out when Dalby decides to let us in on secrets. Dalby's story will be posted at the end of the newsletter and the story continued monthly.