No sleep for ewe: 11 lambs born to one Sask. farmer during weekend blizzard | 24CA News
While a blizzard made its method by way of southern Saskatchewan over the weekend, most individuals had been nestled inside their properties to remain heat.
It was a really completely different scenario for one Saskatchewan farmer.
“Whenever there is a big storm, expect sheep to start dropping,” stated Josef Buttigieg.
And drop they did. Eleven sheep had been born at his farm through the Saskatchewan snowstorm Saturday evening.
Two units of twins, two units of triplets and a solo sheep had been all born inside quite a few hours at Fenek Farms.
“I don’t think I will forget that night,” Buttigieg stated as he recalled the occasions of Saturday night. “When you are walking out in that storm, you question your life choices. Like what the heck am I doing out here? It is 3 a.m., it’s a blizzard and it’s -25.”
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Buttigieg stated after going out and in of the storm whereas working within the barn, he determined to only take a bit of nap within the barn.
But it wasn’t an alarm clock that woke him up.
Sheep are simply one of many many animals Josef Buttigieg and his household increase on their farm.
Brody Ratcliffe / Global News
“Waking up, you smell her baby and she’s licking you on the face, type of thing, and (you’re) getting your morning kiss from a sheep,” Buttigieg stated. “I think over the weekend between Friday to Sunday, I probably had a collective total of four hours of sleep.”
He stated during the last 5 years of breeding sheep, a lot of them have been born throughout a Saskatchewan storm, however this time round it felt completely different.
“Saturday night was one of the craziest nights. If it’s not the craziest, it is the second, just because of the intensity of the storm and everything happening all at once for us.”
And Buttigieg doesn’t anticipate it to decelerate anytime quickly.
“Of our 140 sheep, we have about 120 that are pregnant and they’re about to give birth and of those only 15 have given birth so far,” Buttigieg stated.
Buttigieg lived in Toronto earlier than transferring to Saskatchewan with no prior background in farming. He started elevating some animals on the farm as a passion, but it surely has changed into one thing solely completely different.
“I’m trying to educate the public in terms of knowing where your food comes from, how it’s raised and why we do certain things,” Buttigieg stated.
From turkeys and geese to sheep and alpacas, the farm has turn into a household affair.
And with 11 extra sheep now on the farm, with no because of a Saskatchewan blizzard, Buttigieg stated he’s nothing however excited for the long run.
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