docking lambs
May and June bring us lambs, and lambs mean docking–cutting the tails, castrating the males, eearmarking,vaccinating and paint branding. This requires our crew to gather the ewes and lambs into portable corrals, which we move to the various areas on the lambing grounds. We sort the lambs into a smaller pen, then carry them, one by one, along an assembly line where they are prepared for their future lives without tails. The last stop is a paint brand. This year we have an exceptional multi-national crew, which includes Peruvians, Mexicans, South Africans and Americans, including our grandchildren and employees. We have had fair weather and great lunches. Soon the ewes and lambs will be ready to trail to their summer pastures on the forest.
Rhen, bringing up the lambs
ewes in the pen
Rhen and Aaron with the Dickum Docker
Maeve, Riley and Tiarnan docking
Robyn, Oscar and James
Riley and Seamus
Liza with lamb
Seamus and Riley
ewes and lambs at Cherry Grove
wagon at Cherry Grove
Ladder Ranch
