Spring Has Sprung

Spring is such a wonderful time of the year at Glenwood. The mornings are still crisp but the days are full of sunshine, the bees are busy and the native plants begin to blossom. The Wattle in particular has just been amazing this year being a little drier than we would have liked ....... here's hoping we get some rain soon!

Springtime is also when all our baby lambs are born. We have 1000 stud ewes (mothers) giving birth to approximately 1,300 baby lambs and Norm keeps them in paddocks close to the house so that he can keep a close eye on them. It is wonderful to walk up into the hills in the morning and hear the bird song mixed with the bleating of the little lambs and the doting murmurs of their mothers.

A few weeks after the ewes have given birth Norm looks to “mother up” the lambs and give them each an electronic ear tag so that they can then be tracked throughout their life. "Mothering up" is done quietly and slowly so as to not disturb Mum and baby too much and Norm is always looking to see which ewes make the best mothers. This is really important when twins and triplets are the norm (pardon the pun!)

When we have approximately 6 ewes and their lambs in a small yard we scan the mothers ear tag with Norms magic wand. Norm then catches the baby lamb with his Sheppard’s hook and we give the lamb a small electronic ear tag which then connects the lamb on our database with their mothers.

The electronic ear tag is quite small and when attached to the lamb’s ear is very quick and painless. "Mothering up" is a very gentle process and is actually a beautiful way to pass the morning or afternoon, particularly when we get the kids involved.

Until next time – stay safe and happy