Thursday

 Candace. A 8-9 year old Horned Dorset ewe

that we weren't going to shear until March as

we were hoping she did not get pregnant for 

the 2nd year in a row. But, no. She's is bagging

up. So, until she lambs, she will be kept separate 

and fed an extra portion of grain and hay daily.

 Harriet. The ewe that prolapsed her 

vagina twice and had to wear a prolapse 

paddle for a week and a half.

Now that she has been sheared, she is

no where near as fat as we thought she was.

Like Candace, she will be getting an 

extra portion of grain and hay.

 All of the mothers, and mothers to be, 

are now sheared. Now for the job of skirting

fleeces. So many are damp from them laying

out on the snow that I will need to leave them

open on sheets in various rooms of my house.

 The boys. They will be sheared in March

along with the coated yearlings.

These should be awesome fleeces 

as they've been coated since they were 

sheared last year!

 Lambs hanging out in the newly set up

creep feeder. Now they can eat grain when 

they want without the mothers stealing it

from them. They need to eat as much as 

possible to be as big as possible to sell.

 Just a few of the fleeces I will be working on today.

In the pink sheet is Cassidy. She is Dorset/Romney

with a smidge of Shetland a couple of generations

back. I am keeping this one for myself.

Wednesday

Lamb pictures

Some of the newer lambs see snow for the first time. Well. If you can call it snow... It is more like 2"+ of frozen 'stuff'. I thought I got some video, but apparently it did not upload into the computer.

It is bright out there, so I apologize in advance that the three white lambs appear washed out... I will try again later to get some video of the bouncing lambs.

 Jack Black wants to know what is 

this stuff? And why is it so bright out??

 What has been greeting me the last few mornings.

Usually they are set up on the boys 1/3 of the barn,

 but this works just as well. They are set up in the center

1/3 of the barn. This is where the hay is and generally

where we shear. This year they are getting sheared

in their 'stalls'. This is the lamb kndergarten, where

moms and babies learn to co-exist before going back

into the main flock. It gives us a chance to see who needs

to spend some more one on one time with their lamb

getting to know it.

 Sleepy heads.

 Erin with her BIG lamb and the heat light.

 The moms all came rushing out to get the hay.

Black lambs quickly followed. (They've been

out before.) White lambs had to be persuaded.

Yes, that is my shearing rug on the fence between the boys and the girls.

I was taking advantage of the weather to help clean off the poop.

When hubby gets home today I will have him help me bring in back in.

I was hoping for him to shear more tomorrow. It depends on if anyone is dry.

I have to say, we are both quite pleased with yet another year how good our

girls look after lambing. Even those with twins have maintained their condition.

Good hay, and extra pasture this year makes a big difference. And, Poulin grain.