Saying good-bye to lambs

This is one of my least favorite parts of being a shepherd....when the lambs are weaned and have to leave for their new homes. Generally I am pretty OK with them leaving as long as I know that they are going to good homes and will be well cared for, but it is never an easy thing to do. This year I am having an especially difficult time with it...maybe because it has been an emotional year, maybe in part because of my daughter getting married and moving away, maybe because I just got more attached this year....Whatever the reason, it has been hard to let them go.

This morning 4 of my girls left to start a new flock of their own. I know that they are in the best hands and will have a wonderful home, but it is still sad to see them go.

Ariel, my ag/grey ewe lamb.

Phoebe-adorable flecket ewe lamb with super soft fleece.

Callisto- musket ewe lamb.
And yearling ewe, Fallon- I think I will miss her the most. She is an awesome ewe with super dense soft fleece and a dynamite personality. She is a carbon copy of her mother though and her mother is one ewe that will always stay. Apparently she is itchy in this photo.

Some of the boys, on the other hand.......I am not sure how much I will miss them! Hormones are starting to kick in and they are starting to act more like small rams than cute little lambs.
Ferdinand has been moved to the ram pasture and is not too sure that he likes being one of the "big boys" as much as he had anticipated!Titan, like most growing boys, eats...a lot....that's pretty much all he does.

Sagan spends his days (much to everyone's dismay) sniffing behinds and testing the scents.

When the ewes refused his amorous advances, he thought he would try his luck with Mama Llama.
"Hey baby, come here often?"

"Why do you have to make that face, Mama, what's with the ears?"
"Why is your mouth open, are you going to blow me a kiss........uh oh, wait, I know what that means! I am outta here!"
I guess I will even miss the antics of the ram lambs when they leave this weekend.

"Don't worry mom, we'll be OK."