Lambs are born every year, but triplets in the Kempisch heideschaap breed are rare.
“I call no fewer than eight triplets very special,” says Tineke Camps from Ysselsteyn.
Shepherd
She sat down for a while with a lamb on her lap and a milk bottle in her hand. She feels more like a midwife and surrogate mother than a shepherd these days. Seven years ago she started her own Peel Herd Sheep Drive as a shepherd. Her working area is Venray and surroundings.
help
Tineke: “My sheep normally only get one lamb and sometimes two. Not all ewes can take care of three offspring themselves. That’s why we have to help. The lambs don’t mind at all.”
Intensive
Lambing season has been going on for a few weeks now. The counter now stands at about 350. In one day, 70 lambs were born. “Yes, then I won’t be out of the stable all day. This is a very nice period, but I’m also happy when this is over at the end of March, because such a baby boom is very intensive.”
dogs
Unlike Tineke, her dogs who guard and guide the herd currently have little or nothing to do. “Before we start grazing with all the sheep again, the lambs have to be a bit bigger. There is not much to do for my dogs now, I’ll have to train them a bit later.”
Hug Day
Tineke will not be the only one enjoying the lambs. She is already looking forward to the big hug day: “I hope that we can organize another open stable day at the end of March. That was already two years ago. Children really enjoy it when they can walk among the sheep and lambs. .”