I know it is only November, but for us, it feels like the year is drawing to a close. We are wrapping up our fences and water hoses to store for winter. The garden is harvested, the barn is ready to house animals, and our schedule is full of butchering and putting away instead of …
The lambs are looking great this year, and the Texel cross experiment has convinced us to add a flock of Texels to our program. Originally we intended to use the Texel as a terminal sire, meaning all his lambs get eaten, not kept for breeding. After talking to a couple breeders, one of which came …
We started out with Finnsheep with the idea that despite their small stature, they would be efficient meat producers since they have multiple lambs each spring. After raising them for a few years now, we have adjusted our expectations somewhat. They are incredible mothers, but have very little muscling when compared with a meat breed, …
In my last post, everything was mud. Not long after, we were able to get the animals out on grass, moving them through the pasture. There were a few more encounters with mud, since that is how the spring weather tends to go, but now we are dry and warm! We have been moving the …
We had a successful lambing this year. There is a grand total of 50 lambs running about on the farm now. We lost some to various causes, known and unknown, but all the ewes are doing well and the remaining lambs are thriving. They are so much fun to watch at their games, and subsequently …
In the past week we have welcomed the first seven lambs of 2021 into our barn. Three sets of twins and a single, divided as evenly as you can divide an odd number, into boys and girls. Everyone has done well, with minimal intervention needed. Some of the lambs had their legs turned back, and …
I’ve received a few questions lately regarding our reasoning for removing the cozy blanket of wool from our ewes while the seasons are at their coldest. Our biggest reason is preparation for the coming lambs. If the ewes have long wool during lambing, the lambs can have a harder time finding the teat and therefore …
I got everyone out for some exercise today, since it was gorgeous, sunny, and not too muddy. The pregnant ewes need exercise, and everyone enjoys fresh air and sunshine! The bellies are getting large, and we are looking forward to lambs in less than a month!
Mid-winter. The sheep are (hopefully) pregnant, and their wool has had nearly a year of growth. They are looking fluffy and round. In a few weeks we will be shearing, and despite our struggles to keep hay out of the wool, I am very exited about the fleeces. Most of them look nice, despite the …