A Sheepherder's Story

Drop herd: The main bunch of ewes, during lambing, that have yet to lamb.

Lambing: The birthing of lambs.

Shed lambing: Tending to the ewes delivering lambs in barns and corrals.

Range lambing: Tending to the ewes delivering lambs out on the range, in the sagebrush and hills. No corrals or barns. 

Hired men/sheepherders/herders: Spanish speaking Peruvians brought in on work visas that stay with the sheep herds year round.

Bum lambs: lambs without mothers that we bottle feed.

Panniers: a box or bag set that hang on either side of the pack saddle for transporting supplies.

Camp: The place where the sheepherders are residing at the time whether it be in their tent or their camp- a rounded metal sheep wagon on four wheels as pictured above.

Commissary/supply wagon: A wooden wagon, pictured above, pulled behind the camp for holding supplies such as hay, wood, corn, and dog food.

Big Range Operation: Running the sheep in herds on the range year round. Often times on public lands, such as Forest Service or BLM.

Grafting: when a lamb dies, we skin it and put that skin on a live lamb like a jacket so the ewe will claim it as hers.   

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