Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Barber pole worm

We almost lost a lot of our sheep a number of years ago to this. Farming magazine has a very informative article about barber pole worm.

http://www.whitecloversheepfarm.com/prl-articles/FarmingMagazineTheDeadlyBarberPoleWorm.pdf

How much meat can you expect off a 40-60 pound lamb?

NOT 50 pounds!!

 I told the potential customer that I would sell them the largest 3 month old lambs I had and take them to the butcher. These 2 were close to 60 pounds. That is ~30 pounds dressed. The husband shows up at my husband's work to pay for them, but when he finds out that they will not be 50 pounds, he cancels the order. Meantime, I am over 1/2 an hour into a 1 hour trip to deliver them to the butcher for them. Hubby calls and says to bring them home. Order cancelled. Now, I am totally ticked off!!! I wasn't going to charge for transportation because I shifted some things around and was going to run my errands on the way home. Win-win for both of us. But NO! I can't run any of my errands because I have 2 screaming lambs in the back of my van, and now I am out gas money that I don't have to spare.

 I WILL NOT do this again! You want our lambs, you will need to buy them and provide your own transportation. We sold lambs this year to a very nice family in Maine, a high school senior in NH and an older couple in northern NH.

1/2 of next year's lambs will go directly to the meat man for Easter. The rest will either be private sold, or shipped to the meat man for Greek Easter.

I generally like people, but today I am thoroughly annoyed. First the shipper (for taking animals to auction) is a no show, no call. And, then this. I am glad though that the shipper did not come today as now I can add 2 more lambs to his trailer and make more money to pay more bills!!

Off to take another Vicodin and rest for a while. It has been 4 weeks since inguinal hernia surgery, and although I am getting better and better each day, moving 2 60 pound lambs and driving for more than an hour with them screaming behind me has taken a toll on me.


THIS will tell you how much meat you can expect to get from sheep, pig, cows and goats.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/asc/asc179/asc179.pdf

And, this.
http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/images/content/1/6/16438/Know-Your-Meat-Handout-Lamb-A.pdf

Friday, June 12, 2015

Skirting a fleece (or what I hope to be doing tomorrow!)

As explained by Spinderella's Fiber Mill.

http://www.spinderellas.com/skirting.html 


http://www.spinderellas.com/images/woolfleece.gif 


We separate alpaca at shearing tim. Same  with llamas.

alpaca sketch


Goat.

goat sketch


And, she tells you how to build an inexpensive skirting/drying table.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

How to contact us

The quickest way to get in touch with us is through email!! eweifarm@msn.com

The next way is through our phone. But, since we are often not available from 5 am to 9 pm, you may not hear back from us in a timely fashion.

So, email us if you are interested in lambs, wool fleece, roving, yarn or shearing.

Have a wonderful day all!

TTFN

Loads of lambs for sale!

Horned Dorset, Horned Dorset/Jacob (1 white ewe, 1 black/brown and white ewe, 1 white ram, 1 black/brown and white ram), and Dorset/Romney lambs available. Born March 11 to April 13, 2015. $150 each. We also have 3 Horned Dorset/Jacob yearling ewes available. 2 white, 1 brown/black and white. Also $150 each.

Whatever is not sold by the end of June will be going to auction. And, no, I will not summer them over at our place. We need to move them on in order to have enough grass for the adults.






 Aren't I a cute ram lamb?






 Tallulah. Not for sale. The mother is some of the Horned Dorset/Jacob crosses.


 Socks, on the left, is NOT for sale.
 Lots of perfectly good grass and it wants hay...
 Horned Dorset cross ewe

 Yes, there is as much fleece around as there are lambs...





Nea and Noggen get naked

We are late getting these two sheared this year. Jerry's 3 shearing machines finally gave up.
So, for the first time in 9 years, I bought him a new shearing machine.
Nea and Noggen got it used on them first.
What well behaved animals! Both of them, and the chute, came from our friend Shari Mead.



 Nea the llama


 She is such a good girl.
Noggen is like "What is happening to my friend?'







 "Oh. Now I remember!'
 His fleece is like cotton candy! I can't wait to get it on the wheel.
 My job. Just stand there and keep them calm!


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