Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/809070
60 | SignatureMT weather's wildcard is oen played during lambing season and the tumultuous transition from winter to spring. Rain, sleet, snow, high winds and low temperatures combine to complicate the process, but veterans of lambing sheds have developed and relayed tricks of the trade for decades to maximize lamb health and overall success. Sometimes the simplest interventions are the most effective, as was the case with Old #361 and her newborn. With the ewe lamb struggling to breathe, my daughters swooped in, cleared its airway, tickled her nose with a piece of straw, and breathed a collective sigh of relief when the shivering lamb sneezed, coughed, and began breathing on her own. Aer show- ing the newborn where her food came from, we moved on to the next pen until the night was exhausted and so were we. We le the lambing barn at the first light of day, heading for home and a warm bed, bone tired from effort and cold but over- whelmingly satisfied to have played our part in another successful lambing season in Central Montana. And, pleased to be up in time to see the sun rise in beautiful, Big Sky Montana. LAMBING FAQ'S • Lambing takes place in late winter / early spring throughout Cen- tral Montana. This is a result of an approximately 147 day gestation period from fall breeding cycles, often managed by ranchers to coincide with otherwise slack periods of agricultural living and to give market lambs time to put on weight before sale dates. • Adult ewe's commonly give birth to twins and even triplets, with some breeds and well managed flocks having a higher percentage of twins than single lamb births. Most ewe's have no problem taking care of twins, but triplets usually result in one lamb being "bummed off" onto a ewe with only one lamb. • Sheep dogs of assorted breeds are an essential tool in most ranchers' toolbox to help protect, handle and herd their flocks throughout the year. Old 361 stands guard over her lamb, born just moments before. The protective nature of seasoned ewes coupled with their willingness to accept human intervention when needed makes them truly remarkable animals and incredible guardians of their offspring. ~ Shane Klippenes is a husband to a woman that he still wonders how he landed, Father to 3 teenage daughters who are tougher than him, a Fire Captain / Paramedic, outdoorsman, author, speaker and all-season explorer of Montana's wilder places. www.blackleafwriting.com and Instagram @g ffr35 MT S