Mule Lamb

This is a lamb born on a co-worker's farm last night. Pardon the quality - its from his cell phone, taken at dusk. The mother is 11-12 months old, and is a Cheviot Mule - the result of a crossing between a BFL ram and a Border Cheviot ewe. The lamb is sired by a Texel ram.
Mules are the backbone of the commercial sheep industry in the UK. They are a cross between a BFL ram and any of the smaller, hardy hill breeds of sheep. They are known for being able to raise a good, fast growing set of lambs on a pasture system. This girl had delivered,cleaned and fed the lamb and was keeping it up in the middle of a 17 acre hillside pasture. Although it was grain feeding time, she stayed right where she was, refusing to leave the newborn to get her evening meal. I love this picture - you can see the loving, attentive mother in the curve of her body, cradling the lamb. See how she moves her rear leg out of the way so the baby can find its way to her udder?
Tonight, she and the lamb will likely join the flock at the feed bunks. By now, it will be steady on its legs and hopping around with its mother. For the next few days, she will insist that it stay close at her side, and will constantly come over and touch the sleeping lamb with her nose to reassure herself that its safe. But soon, many more lambs will be born, and they will begin running in little packs, playing and jumping with their friends.