Lambing Clinic

 VSGA Lambing Clinic at Shelburne Farms

March 28, 2026
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
$30 – $40

The clinic will be led by Dr Emma Cijka from Valley Wide Veterinary Services, a practice serving dairy cattle and other farm animals in Addison County.  Emma 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 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 morning will start in the classroom at 9 to go over the basics: ewe nutrition, early signs of labor, when to intervene in difficult labor, dystocia, handy equipment to have on hand, clip, dip, and strip, and other important things to understand.

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

Fee: $30 charge for VSGA members and $40 for nonmembers. A copy of a Michigan State University Extension book, “Birth Management of Small Ruminants Compendium” will be available at the clinic for $25.  This 87 page booklet contains a wide variety of great information. Included subjects are body condition scoring, nutritional management of pregnancy and lactation, sample diets for lambs and ewes, shearing before lambing, preventing ketosis, preventing enterotoxemia, birth management supply list, birth assistance guide, newborn management guide, use of drugs in combination for parasite control, assessing health and well-being at birth, guide for grafting lambs, critical control points for lamb survival, and mastitis in small ruminants. Also included is a laminated plastic poster titled.” Treating Hypothermia in Kids and Lambs”

Contact Dave at settlementfarm@comcast.net if you have any  questions.

Location: Shelburne Farms Education Center and Dairy Barn.  Here is a map.  The education center is in the Farm Barn. https://shelburnefarms.org/visit-and-learn/day-visit/walking-trails

Capacity: 20

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