I picked up a bunch of supplies yesterday at TSC (a local farm/other stuff supply store) and amoung them was a couple of livestock markers. These are generally used when sorting livestock, but during this time of year they get used for a different purpose...
Basically what you do is rub the marker (it is sort of like a waxy grease pencil, about 3cm in diameter) all over the hard area between the front legs of the ram until he is brightly coloured (my market is red). Then when he does his thing you can see the red market all over the back of the ewe. (a little birds and bees lesson there for ya :p ).
When Amanda and I went out to check the sheep this evening I noticed #30 was freshly coloured so it looks like I finally have some official word as to when we will be expecting lambs. I am sure this has happened a couple of times already undocumented as they have been with Rogue for nearly a week now and with another ram for a couple of days before that, but it is safe to say that they had not been bred before a week from yesterday or so, so at least we have a rough idea. This is exciting news as I finally have some evidence to show that I may actually get some lambs in spring if I don't manage to kill the sheep somehow before then.
*As a side note, a ewe's gestation period is about a week short of five months so we should get lambs just in time for my sisters birthday at the end of April. Yay!!!
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