05/02/2026
Thereās been some conversation recently about the timing of rehoming Icelandic lambs, and I want to offer a bit of context from our operation for those who may not be familiar with how dramatically climate and lambing schedules can vary across regions.
In northern climates, Icelandic sheep follow a seasonal breeding cycle with lambs often arriving in February and March. By mid-summer, these lambs are off milk, on pasture and hay, and demonstrating the kind of growth and condition we expect before rehoming.
More importantly, we operate in North Idaho, at the foothills of the Rockies, bordered by hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. This is not a mild or buffered environment. By late summer, when folks back east suggest we rehome our lambs, not only are we in the heat of the summer but wildfire season is in full force. This isnāt theoretical. Weāve evacuated, managed animals through sustained smoke, and seen nearby farms lose everything. These are not abstract risks, they are operational realities. And that reality shapes every management decision we make.
Keeping lambs longer would mean exposing healthy, weaned animals to heat, smoke, and potential wildfire evacuations. Our rehoming approach is based on:
* Individual lamb readiness (natural weaning, forage intake, growth)
* Regional climate realities
* Proven experience (we have both purchased and sold lambs in this timeframe with great success)
There is no one-size-fits-all standard in livestock management. What is appropriate in one region, with one lambing schedule, does not automatically translate to another. We will always prioritize the health, resilience, and long-term success of our flock, even if that means doing things differently than farms in milder parts of the country.
Thoughtful stewardship means adapting to real conditions, not applying mild-climate assumptions to environments they donāt fit.
