Yesterday I received this wonderful tip from one of the wonderful Fellowship of the Farmy.
I am throwing my two cents worth of lambing prediction for your consideration. I go by the udder size to predict the number of weeks or days until lambing. My sheep hate my exploring hand as I unceremoniously, but gently reach down to inspect first visually then with my hand. So here it is: a little swelling around the teats predicts 6 weeks, an udder starting to fill my cupped hand (small hand) about 4 weeks, overflowing my hand a bit is 3 weeks. The actual day is typical of the books with a tight udder, protruding teats, swollen vulva etc. I hope this helps, and that you have an uneventful lambing.
Aha! I thought. So out I went for a chat with Meadow. She is two years old and definitely pregnant. The result of our ..um.. meeting is that I think she is due to lamb in about three weeks, maybe a little over. So I had better get busy with the baby clothes. (lambs coats.. it will be cold). How exciting. Though she is still making that low grunt at odd times, which worries me, I hope they are ok in there.
Minty had nothing to offer. (I know how she feels) Not even a mini champagne glass.
Mama has been wearing a size c cup since she arrived so I think this rule of thumb would work best with the young ones. I am pleased. Thank you R.
It blew like hell itself today, my face is officially sandblasted with flying snow so I did not get to see Sheila. Yesterday the ice on the roads had the big red truck gently sliding right out of control. So I am still waiting. At least she is safe and well where she is. I don’t know why I am such a wort for the worrying.
You do remember that Belle the Kunekune Sow is due to farrow on Feb 1st!
The seed chest is out. John has forbidden me from throwing any seed catalogues out though why he needs that many I have no idea. But the greenhouse is still waiting for reasonable weather to continue the building. 
Oh, and in answer to your questions: MY favourite seed catalogue is The Sandhill Preservation Center, from Calamus in Iowa. It is printed on newsprint paper in black and white with no sexy fonts or breathless descriptions, no pictures of cute kids with big pumpkins and no shiny pages or posh promises. They are very low tech, no website. The seeds come as generous portions in little envelopes with the name of the plant and no directions. They expect you to know what you are ordering and what to do with it. They do not promise to answer the phone and do not deal with emails when they are busy. “Just send in your order and wait your turn in line” they say. I love this about them.
They are dedicated to preserving NON GM heirloom vegetables and flowers. They are honest, good and grumpy. I just love it. I fill out their old fashioned paper form and send them a cheque in the post. They have excellent sweet potatoes too. They breed heirloom and endangered old breed chickens, turkeys, ducks and bantams so I will also order my new chickens from them this year, I am getting a straight run of Orpington chooks. I am also buying a few Buff Orpington ducks to waddle about. Just for continuity.
So I had better get busy and send in my order!
It snowed again last night, enough to tidy the place up a bit.
I am writing a proper book now based on the farm blog. I shall tell you about it tomorrow, I am going to need your help choosing the best posts. I am starting with winter. It is an exciting project and keeping me busy.
Have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
68 responses to “How to tell when your ewe is due.”
I love the box you keep your seeds in!
It works very well having the box, keeping us in some order!.. c
LOL, I hope you warmed your hands before the udder expose? Interesting you are starting the book in winter, your blog starts in summer, and how are we to choose – all your posts are fabulous and book worthy! 🙂 Laura
Honestly? I am writing the winter book while I am in the thick of it. I am using only very few of the blog posts, only the very best, the ones that have content without relying on images, and lots of me in between, after all you have all read the blog, who would want to pay to read it all over again? c
You have thousands of followers who read everyday! The book would fill in the gaps and the two will complement each other. So exciting. Laura
A book – how wonderful – it will be wonderful and inspiring success. Now, who will play you and John in the movie and will the animals do their own stunts?!
I think Daisy will insist on playing herself, she is that kind of cow! c
Your posts are so good it will be difficult deciding which to include… good luck…
i read this post about how this woman deals with mastitis in her cow and thought it might help you: http://matronofhusbandry.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/there-aint-no-stinkin-learning-curve/
Watch out for the ducks, they like to make a lot of mess. They are however, amazingly cute when little, reminding me of dinosaurs 😉
We will be having duck for christmas dinner this year, and maybe a few other dinners in between, I am hoping to keep a duck and a drake for breeding. I had ducks once pekins, . sadly killed by local dogs.. but now we have Boo and Ton to protect them.. I think we should see if we can get Boo to adopt them.. c
Ha ha – Boo will adopt all the babies on the farm.
My parents had loads of ducks – all the eggs that went into an incubator hatched, but left to themselves they were far to lazy to bother (hens do a much better job). We found loads of eggs at the bottom of the pond every time we cleaned it out.
In spite of the fact that the ducklings are incredibly cute and friendly, duck has always been my favourite dinner 😉
Yay for your upcoming book – very exciting!! Keep us (um) posted!
My heart melted when I read that you need to stock up on baby clothes for the lambs. But of course, I understand that in three weeks the weather won’t be a whole lot warmer.
We also have the seed catalogues out and I’ve been ordering for our tiny garden. Like you, I steer away from those large companies with their heavily photoshopped pictures and snake-oil salesman promises and instead I’ve ordered from Runåbergs Seeds. Their seeds come in a plain brown paper envelope, they are grown ecologically by the people themselves and are guaranteed to be a variety that grows in these northern latitudes (I’m at 60° North). They also grow heirloom vegetables. I really like the company’s ethos and believe they are worth supporting.
Our wind has abated somewhat, but snow is forecast for the next few days. Such is life in these latitudes in January. Today was brightened up with pavlova for Australia Day – we can agree to disagree about the origins of that dessert 🙂
A book. That sounds like an exciting undertaking. Something to do in all that spare time you have (hee, hee). I’ll look forward to hearing more about that.
I LOVE the seed chest. I think hubby needs to build me one 🙂 And how does one go about getting a Sandhill Preservation Center catalog? I’m always looking for good non-GMO seed companies.
Great information on lambing. Sheep were not on our list of farm animals, but when our 6-yr-old began talking about wanting sheep I began researching them. They are now on our list of farm animals. Not sure which breeds, but we’ll be raising sheep one day. And since goats have always been on the list I’ll have the perfect combination of lawn mowers and weed killers 🙂
Celi, I try to read your blog every single day, but sometimes I miss a few and then patiently go back and fill in the gaps. My favorite winter post for your book it is this one: https://thekitchensgarden.com/2014/01/14/laundry-girls/
Maybe it has something to do with growing up Catholic myself, I don’t know, but this was a special one for me. Thank you.
C. please put me on the pre-order list for your book…I have always thought you should write a book in addition to the Farmy blog…I’m sure there is so much more to tell that what we read in the posts. Two of my favorite winter posts come to mind…A Cold Beauty and Sundogs…both for images and content. Of course the images of the s of s of n m with his frozen comb would definitely have to be one of the photos! And Sheila buried deep in her straw bed with her blankie over her too! 🙂
Have you ever seen those hand and footwarmer packets that you slip into your gloves and shoes that skiers and hikers wear? If not…I will send you some!
xo
Well I would gladly pay to reread your entries all over again. Four books is a great idea because you have an overwhelming amount of material. Organizing it will be a challenge.
They will be four small books, just the very very best of each season, all set in a day on the farm, i am really enjoying working on it!.. c
Yippee for you! All of us are excited for your new adventure and to be some of the first to purchase a new Farmy ebook! Way to go Celi!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Hooray for the book – when will you take my prder? All your posts are my favourites! ! I do remember a post about crying in a laundry basket that made me cry for you.
I am worried that you are cold and your hattie hasn’t come yet.
Love,
ViV
Great post! Thanks for the updates!