Spring has arrived at BYU-Idaho, and along with it, baby lambs. For the past four years, Aaron Stalker, a BYU-Idaho faculty member in the Department of Agriculture and Food Science, has partnered with a local ranch, Siddoway Sheep Company, to give students hands-on experience caring for these animals. The lambs that end up at the BYU-Idaho Agriculture Science Center are commonly referred to as “bum lambs.” When a ewe has too many babies, or when the lambs are not healthy, they require around-the-clock, labor-intensive care. That is where BYU-Idaho students step in to help.
Stalker explained that it is vital for lambs to receive colostrum early in life. For the first few weeks, the lambs are fed every four hours, which means students are at the barn during early mornings and late nights. In many cases, students are doing more than getting hands-on experience caring for the young animals; they’re also nursing sick ones back to health and applying the skills they’ve learned in class.
Stalker said he has two rules for the students who care for the lambs.
“First, students can’t feed lambs so often that it negatively impacts their grades. The second rule is that they need to think about Jesus when they're feeding the lambs, and specifically, I want them to ask themselves two questions. Why do we call Jesus the Good Shepherd? And why do we call him the Lamb of God?”
These questions have led to meaningful conversations about Jesus Christ. As students act as shepherds to the lambs, they gain a deeper appreciation for the love the Savior feels for them and begin to understand that love in a personal way.
Jared Carlquist, a junior studying animal science, explained how some days it can be difficult to show up and provide constant care to the lambs, especially because each lamb has different needs.
“They’re all needy.… but wanting to care for them helps me remember just how much the Savior cares for us,” he said.
Maddie Dudley, a sophomore studying animal science, shared that the time commitment, early mornings, and midnight feedings can feel like a sacrifice. Even so, she feels a deep love for the innocent animals. Her classmate, Presley Holmquist, a junior studying animal science, shared similar sentiments, explaining that caring for these lambs has helped her to better understand how Christ cares for each of us.
As the students reflected on the upcoming Easter holiday, a sacred feeling filled the room. Carter Downs, a sophomore studying business management, shared how sometimes the lambs try to jump through the fence and get stuck, which causes him to reflect on his own life experiences.
“I think about my own life and how I'm getting hung up.... without Jesus Christ there to help me out, to get me out, I would be stuck. I wouldn't progress at all. As we've been approaching Easter, I've thought about how I've been able to help these lambs in situations like that,” Downs said. “Then I think about how Christ is doing that for me, and it's been a really powerful comparison.”
The gratitude these students feel for their Savior and His sacrifice is evident. Downs also shared that he had the opportunity to hear “Lamb of God” by Rob Gardner performed live. Afterward, he returned to the barn to care for the lambs again.
“It really helped me put into perspective Jesus Christ’s sacrifice,” he shared. “Knowing how willing He was… was really powerful.”
Experiences like these show how discipleship can be built into everyday life. From classrooms during the day to barns in the middle of the night, BYU-Idaho students are learning not only how to care for lambs, but also how the Savior cares for them. Especially during Easter, these small, quiet moments help them reflect on Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God, and better understand His love in a personal way.
