Every year we are asked if we maintain a waiting list for lambs, where am I at on the list, etc. When we started RumenBoard Farm, Amy and I had a long discussion on this topic. The pros and cons, etc. We believe we have come up with a system that is fair to all. Our process is as follows:
When lambs are born we wait a short while to ensure each is viable. During that time we spend time with the lambs (and mothers) to begin socializing them, we take pictures that will be used in our birth announcements and on our web site, we band their tails and provide any supportive care that’s required (we had a bottle baby last year because their mom had twins but, evidently, could not count to 2). :-)
A short while later we will send email out to our birth announcement list. After this email is sent we wait for email responses. We do not accept any communications other than in email as we use the date/time stamp on the email to determine who to contact first, second, etc. We operate on first come/first served basis only. When we have made positive contact with as many people as we have lambs for, we are done, and we will send a follow-up email to everyone to let them know.
Please keep in mind that we are a very small operation. This year we have 8 ewes who were paired with our rams for breeding. Some may have singles, some may have twins, but there is no way to be certain until it happens. We also cannot guarantee how many of each gender we will have. Due to this, we cannot guarantee we will have a lamb for everyone who wants one (or more than one). The demand is definitely greater than what we are able to provide.
Once we contact you and tell you that we have a lamb(s) available for you, we do require a 50% deposit within 48 hours. We do have PayPal and Zelle to help with this requirement. If deposit is not received within that time frame, we will move on to the next person on the list (again, based on date/time stamp of the responses we’ve received).
If we are unable to provide a lamb because of supply/demand, and if you would like, Amy is willing to reach out to other farms and see if there is something available. This is done on an “as time permits” basis (we both have full-time jobs). It’s something to keep in mind. She is also willing to share farm information that we’ve gathered over the years and she will provide any insight she has on those farms if requested.
To be put on our birth announcement mailing list, please fill out the Contact Form located here.
