The sun beams down as Joe Wilcomb steps into the barn behind Garfield-Palouse High School to feed his lambs. While skittish around other people, the animals recognize his voice and are quick to follow behind him for their afternoon meal.
Since September, this has been the daily routine for the 17-year-old high school junior. When the school day is over, most students go home, go to work or go to the practice field. Wilcomb goes to see his flock.
"It's kind of fun to hang out with the lambs because they can be cute and playful," he said.
It's a big task for him, but he was up for it when the school asked him to take on the responsibility of caring for the school's flock.
His brother had looked after the school's lambs a few years before him, and Wilcomb became intrigued by the idea. He has shown livestock at FFA competitions before, and was willing to face the challenge of handling more livestock.
The barn currently holds 16 lambs. There were seven ewes as well, but they were recently taken to a pasture at Kamiak Butte, Wash.
Wilcomb started taking care of them in September following an FFA fair, and will take care of them until this coming fall.
His duties are many and varied.
Last fall, he arranged for a ram to mate with the ewes. Then he took care of the pregnant sheep and helped wean the lambs from their mothers.
FFA teacher Mike Patrick said the seven ewes gave birth to 16 baby lambs this year, which is no small feat.
"That's the best we've had here maybe ever," Patrick said.
On top of that, Wilcomb feeds and waters them every day and even administers vaccines to the animals.
The biggest challenge in handling his responsibilities is time management. It's basically a seven-day-a-week job that he maintains while he tries to keep up with his classes.
He's also learned how to be fiscally responsible, as he is in charge of buying the hay for the lambs.
"It opened my eyes to money management," he said.
Wilcomb said the job requires him to be comfortable around livestock, which can mean expecting the unexpected. He's found them with their heads stuck in fences, while others have tried to escape.
"It kind of keeps you on your toes," he said.
It also takes determination and work ethic to make sure 16 animals are safe, healthy and well fed.
"It can be grueling," he said.
But he takes pride in his work, and doesn't regret the experience.
"It hasn't been what I thought, and it was mostly for the better," he said.
The lambs are currently up for sale and are usually bought by 4-H and FFA members to show at competitions. Lambs sell for between $175-$200.
He will enter his senior year next year. After graduation, Wilcomb plans to serve on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then he hopes to "do something along the lines of agriculture" as a career.
Before all that he will have to relinquish his sheep to new owners. Having taken care of them for months, he admits it will be difficult to say goodbye.
"It will be a little emotional," he said.
Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.
