Join the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association for a day long lambing clinic. Master Shepherd, Chet Parsons, will start the morning off with a class to go over the basics: ewe nutrition, early signs of labor, when to intervene in a difficult labor, dystocia, handy equipment to have on hand, clip, dip, and strip. After a potluck lunch, the class will move down to the dairy barn where Sam Dixon and Renee Lacoss will be in the middle of lambing 75 ewes. Various procedures will be demonstrated (dystocia, tail docking, castrating, tube feeding, hoof trimming, grafting, inverted eyelid).
The weather at the end of March in Vermont can be unpredictable. Please dress warmly.
Instructors:
Chet Parsons is a retired UVM Extension livestock specialist. He has 30 years of experience teaching and demonstrating how to care for sheep.
Dave Martin of Settlement Farm will be lambing a flock of just over 60 ewes and has 25 years of experience raising sheep.
