Vermont Sheep and Goat Lambing Clinic

Join Vermont Sheep and Goat Association for a day-long lambing clinic at Shelburne Farms led by Dr. Emma Cijka from Valley Wide Veterinary Services. Buying a ticket to this clinic includes a copy of a Michigan State University Extension book, “Birth Management of Small Ruminants Compendium.”

The morning will start at 9 a.m. in the classroom to go over the basics, including ewe nutrition, early signs of labor, when to intervene in difficult labor, dystocia, equipment to have on hand, and clip, dip, and strip.

 After a potluck lunch, the class will move down to the barn where herdsman Rene Lacoss will be lambing 75 ewes. Rene will demonstrate several procedures and answer questions related todystocia, tail docking, castration, tube feeding, hoof trimming, grafting, inverted eyelids, etc.

Dr. Emma Cijka grew up on a small goat dairy in Hubbardton, VT, and worked extensively with sheep throughout college. She holds a BS and DVM from Cornell University. Emma joined the team at Valley Wide Veterinary Services in Addison County in 2023 and has enjoyed working with the growing number of sheep and goats in the area (and even an occasional llama or alpaca). She is very excited to be involved in the small ruminant community.

The weather in late March in Vermont can be unpredictable. Please dress warmly.