The grass is growing and the animals are happy to be eating green vegetation again.
In the winter, the sheep ate hay that was baled during the previous summer, but as soon as the fields turn green, the sheep are turned out to graze. At MFFC, we rotationally-graze the animals–meaning that the animals are moved every few days to a different pasture. This allows the animals to have a continuous diet of fresh greens, and limits their impact on a single area of land.
Colene has moved her rabbits back out in their hutches. Right now they are located around the caretaker’s cabin, foraging for food.
The lambs are in-between nursing and eating grass. Several weeks ago, they were mimicking their mothers, chewing on blades, but not necessarily eating grass as their main diet. Between a month and two months the ewe’s will start to limit the lambs’ nursing. In the photograph below this lamb is still getting mom to provide the meals, but pretty soon she’ll start to walk away or lay down when her lamb tries to feed.
Hey! What is the one lone sheep doing in the small animal barn pasture, by itself? Just curious! Thanks!
That one sheep is the ram, Elliott, and he is by himself right now to ensure that we do not end up with more lambs in the near future!