About eight lambs were waiting Saturday for visitors to the University of California’s Research and Extension Center in Hopland.
“We had one born yesterday,” said Hannah Bird, community educator for the REC, explaining that shepherd Jim Lewers, senior animal technician, was impatiently waiting for another 100 to be born shortly.
“He wants them to come soon, so we can get a bit of a Christmas break,” she said with a laugh, explaining that Lewers expects more than 600 lambs to be born by the time the ewes are done.
On Saturday, Bird was hosting the first of three hikes scheduled at the REC, located at the top of winding University Road off of Old River Road. The next one will be on Jan. 13, and Bird said there will be plenty more lambs for visitors to greet then.
“And by that time we will likely have some ‘bummer lambs’ that have been adopted by humans,” she said, explaining that a bummer lamb is one that is not being taking care of by its mother, often because the ewe had twins or triplets and doesn’t have enough milk for all of her babies.
“Then they are bottle-fed, and people can feed them for a bit if they’d like,” said Bird.
Lewers said inexperienced moms can also reject the first lamb they have, and in those cases he and other shepherds try to encourage the pair to bond by putting them in a “lambing jug,” which is a small pen made just for an ewe and her lamb.
Humans can also help the lambs survive by holding the ewe still while the lamb tries to nurse, helping both animals get used to the feeding process.
Last year, Bird and her children fostered a lamb they named “Snuggles,” but so far this season there had been no bummer lambs.
On Saturday, visitors also made holiday wreaths, but Bird said the next hike “will focus on the lambs.”
The next Hopland Hike is Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. until noon. Participants should meet at Rod Shippey Hall, and wear clothing suitable for a short hike to the lambing barn that may be muddy.
The hikes cost $5 for adults, and are free to children under 12. The final hike will be on Feb. 10.
VIDEO: Watch one of the lambs jumping for joy while eating. https://youtu.be/1bnux_ZdADg
