My in-laws have raised sheep out at their farm for many, many years. Even though it’s not a ‘working’ farm, per say, they’ve always kept the critters around and I can see why – the place would seem unnatural without them.
There’s not much of a market for sheep wool. From what I’ve been told, it costs nearly as much to sheer sheep as it does to sell the wool. My father-in-law has been testing out raising sheep for their meat and in order to do that, the herd must grow.
I also found out that it’s apparently healthier for sheep to give birth during the winter so right now there are a number of lambs running around the farm. Two of those had very young mothers so they’re being bottle fed which means ultimately they will be comfortable around humans.
So when my parents came up for a visit on Sunday, we took them out to the farm and gave them a chance to feed the lambs.
Six and Seven are the two that need bottle feeding. Six was incredibly friendly. Here she is being very interested in my jeans. I’m not sure what she smelled on me but she liked it. And yes, that is a beer bottle they are being fed from. What? How else did you think we got beer brats?
After going through all the normal routines of ‘Aww, how cute!’ and the like, Mom then showed her true dark and evil side. While feeding Seven, Mom looked down and said “To think somebody is going to eat you!”
Seven bleated and tore off to hide by its mother. He wouldn’t come anywhere near us, or shall I say, Mom for the rest of the visit. I couldn’t stop laughing.
My Mom – the Sheep version of the monster in your closet.
Moose and Ink 
When I was about four, we got a lamb from the neighbor, and my mother served it at a dinner party. I introduced it to the guests. “This is Skyleaf,” I said – that being the name I had given to the lamb when it was still alive. The adults were somewhat less equanimous about eating an animal whose name they knew than I was.
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Calling your mother a “monster” will put a serious dent in your status as possible “favorite son”. But. we are looking forward to trying out the lamb chops they gave us.
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Sweet – I move to the front on the “favorite son” list…..
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