I hope that each of you had a wonderful Christmas.  With the holiday being in the middle of the week, our “big kids” chose to meet us in West Virginia to spend time with the rest of our families.  They did come to get Baylee early, so we were empty nesters for a few days.

The holiday season doesn’t just ring in the new year but also signals the arrival of new residents on our farms.  Although each operation is a little different, at some point between mid-December and April newborn calves, lambs, and (goat) kids will be making their way into the world.  As you know, this is a very stressful time for all involved but can also be very exciting.  It is exciting in that we get the first look at the new offspring and can make an initial evaluation of our breeding plan results.  You know too well about the stress part.  Long sleepless nights, will your favorite cow/ewe/doe deliver her future replacement without any difficulty, will it get cold and stay cold so we aren’t calving/lambing/kidding in the mud are just a few.

It never fails that the first newborn always shows up a couple weeks early and catches us off guard.  While this advice may be late for some, now is the time to make sure you are prepared for the arrival of new life.  The first step in being prepared is to contact your veterinarian to get any animal health products you may need.  Hopefully, you have been working with them all year long and they know your operation well enough to provide you with specific recommendations for your situation.  This relationship will also make it more likely they will come out at 2:00 AM to help with a difficult birth. 

Next is preparing locations.  Most of our small ruminant producers will be lambing/kidding in a barn.  You should assemble all of your lambing/kidding pen.  The floor, whether concrete/stone/dirt, should be sanitized with a coating of hydrated lime and then bedded with your product of choice.  It is also important to remember that the cleaning process should be repeated after each doe or ewe gives birth.  You may also choose to provide supplemental heat with a heat lamp.  Check the bulbs to make sure they are working, make sure the safety cage is installed, and have a way that you can quickly adjust the height.  For those calving on pasture there may be less items to assemble but still planning.  Will you need to stage feed resources so that you aren’t damaging fields with heavy equipment?  Where will you take cows that are having trouble.  Are there any windbreaks or shelter for calves when it gets really cold?

Then there are all of the supplies.  This may not be your list, or an all-inclusive list, but it is some basic items that you will want to have at the ready.  You will need some iodine and a means to apply it to the baby’s navel, bottles and nipples, esophageal tube, powdered colostrum and milk replacers, towels, eartags and a tag applicator, castration tools, gloves, lube, calving chains or smooth rope to aid with dystocia.  You will also need a plan and supplies to deal with chilled babies.  Everyone has their own way to deal with hypothermic young.  You may use a water tank with hot water.  You may have a hair dryer, or you may have made or built a warming box.  You hope you never have to use them, but it is best to be prepared.

You also can’t forget about the people involved.  The birthing season is very stressful to owners.  Checking moms all night long and then spending the day with your other farm work.  Make sure you have a supply of snacks and drinks that you can grab quickly.  Make time to actually eat a meal, ideally with the family.  Get your sleep.  Sometimes you will just need to put some things off until you get over the hump of those big birthing times.  Have a way to dry your coveralls, hats, gloves, and boots.  Nothing is more miserable than having to go check your animals and slipping into a nice cold pair of boots or wet coveralls.

January will be kicking off our winter programming season.  Frank and I have a great list of opportunities lined up for the County’s producers.  There will be programs offered each week.  These will include: Private Pesticide/Fertilizer recertifications, 2026 Ag Outlook, the Basics of Commodity Marketing, Beef Quality Assurance certification, 2026 Agronomy School, the Small Farm Financial College.  There are also a series of on-line webinars from the OSU Beef, Sheep, and Forage Teams.  Program flyers will be sent out with our Quarterly Ag Newsletter the first week of January.  You can also keep an eye on our OSU Extension Wayne County Events calendar at https://wayne.osu.edu.  If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, or would like more information on our programs, give me a call at 330-264-8722.

This article was previously published in The Daily Record.