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About 130 little miracles this spring, more or less, on this farm

March came in like a lamb for Jacquie and Rod Turuk.The couple who raise Dorset-Charollais cross sheep on their farm north of Leslieville are keeping busy this month monitoring their flock of pregnant ewes. They anticipate delivering as many as 130 lambs this spring.
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A pair of three-day-old lambs get to know each other better on Jacquie and Rod Turuk’s farm north of Leslieville this week. The couple have been kept busy as lambs are born to their flock over the past week.


LESLIEVILLE — March came in like a lamb for Jacquie and Rod Turuk.

The couple who raise Dorset-Charollais cross sheep on their farm north of Leslieville are keeping busy this month monitoring their flock of pregnant ewes. They anticipate delivering as many as 130 lambs this spring.

“It depends on how many throw singles,” said Jacquie, explaining how the cross-bred ewes are usually good for at least two lambs.

“You always hope for triplets.”

They’ve been raising sheep for four years on the Leslieville farm after a previous eight years operating near Duchess. They have about 130 ewes and two rams. The Dorset ram is bred with cross-bred ewes to produce more breeding stock while the Charollais ram is bred with cross-bred ewes for meat production.

“They have longer loins, among other things.”

They’ll keep no more than 30 ewe lambs for breeding stock with the rest sold to a Camrose feedlot operator who finishes the animals and then sells them to the B.C. and Ontario markets.

“Canada only produces about 50 per cent of what we consume, so the Alberta Lamb Producers are really promoting (raising sheep) to farmers.”

But before the fall sale comes, they have to finish lambing, which means some sleepless nights and busy days ahead.

“Right now, we only have 17 so we’ve got a ways to go.”