Selecting a Lamb
In New Zealand, lambing is often the first sign of spring. Lambs make wonderful pets, especially for small children, and they can be easily reared on small sections.
Ewes (female sheep) often give birth to more lambs than they can feed, or the ewe dies, meaning farmers often have motherless lambs they are happy to give to children to rear. These farmers are often happy to accept the lamb back when calf club is over.
 What to look for when selecting a lambTo compete in calf club, or A&P Shows, your lamb must be a castrated male (a wether) or a ewe lamb, and should have its tail removed. The farmer will normally look after both of these things for you, when the lamb is the right age.
The lamb will normally only be a day or so old when it comes to you and it’s important to ask the farmer if it got a drink from its mother. (When lambs are born the first milk the mother produces is called Colostrum; it is full of antibodies which will make your lamb healthy and strong).
When you first take delivery of your lamb, remember that this is a baby animal which will be feeling lonely and lost without its mother, so make sure you give it lots of attention and love.
Your lamb needs to be warm, dry and clean and, during the first few weeks of life, in an area which is free from draughts. A large carton is ideal as its first home; put newspaper, sacking or clean straw in the bottom for a bed and make sure you replace this every day to keep your lamb’s bed clean and warm.
Keep a diary
You need to give your lamb a name, and record its date of birth and breed.
It is very important to record your lamb’s date of birth because this will determine which event you enter at calf club. Early lambs are those born between 10 July and 19 August, and late lambs are those born between 20 August and 20 September.
You will find a diary on this website; this can be easily downloaded so you can keep track of your lamb’s progress, recording all the ‘milestones’ which happen during its time with you – when you change the number of feeds per day, when it is weaned, when you start training it to lead etc.
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