Shearing 2009

My mess of lists to as I tried to get Shearing Day all planned out.....

As I answered my co-worker when she asked how shearing went, "It went great, but the night before was h.e.uh.c.double l......Yeah, I still wasn't over the trauma.

Shearing day went perfect. The weather was perfect, my dwindled down crew (which happens when you can't shear on the weekend) worked their tails off helping to keep things moving and even the sheep exhibited a rare spirit of cooperation, mostly.

My help arrived in coats, coveralls, sweaters and caps, but all but the non-essential layers were soon shed as the sun started warming everything up. There were several cases of sunburn in people and sheep alike.

Twenty one sheep were sheared and twenty one bags of wool are awaiting my attention in the garage. Just the normal nicks with no major incidents this year.

Nedra (left) and Mom picking through a fleece... fresh fleeces were piled up on the white tarp waiting their turn. Skirted fleeces are in the black bags in the back lining the fence. My crew are very organized! :-)

Fleeces look really nice, on a whole, and most were surprisingly clean. Nedra my dedicated skirter thought they were much cleaner than last year.

Tom & Larry, the shearer, and the Mighty Blue (who is getting a bit old and frail) He was the last sheep sheared.

My Dad and Tom (Nedra's husband) helped me shift the sheep in and out of the pens and off the shearing floor to the pasture. Nedra was in charge of the skirting table, and my Mom came up later and helped her. I spent my time shifting sheep, helping to skirt fleeces, labeling fleeces, trimming hooves/vaccinating the seven sheep I didn't get done, and generally just running on nerves.

Dad (in chair), Tom and Larry...not sure which little brown sheep that was, but it was near the end, we were all getting weary by then.

The first 'big deal' of the day is when I turned the ewes out of the barn and prayed they would run hard and fast down to the garage so I could pen them up. It went very smooth, and the big white sheep led the charge (they are so helpful that way...). I had constructed a wide catch pen, that I could reduce down once I got them penned up. Birdie and Rouen saw too late it was a trap and I was able to slam the gate just in time. To be fair Rouen was a little off her game that day.

Getting the white sheep seperated from the shetlands was a little tricky as Annalea in particular just won't move and will squish me in the corner if that is what it takes. It took awhile, but once that was done, things went very smooth.

All the moms and babies were left in their stalls and led (and I use that word loosely) down individually when it was their turn. Their babies were put in a small crate out of harms way and released as their moms came off the shearing floor. This year the lambs were less confused and found their mommies quickly. Some years, they refuse to believe this newly bald creature is their mommy and will run screaming around, with mom hot on their heels!

Eve and one of the boys wait for their moms.

After being sheared the sheep are generally more than happy to run in the right direction--anything, just get them out of there!

After shearing was over, my wonderful crew cleaned up the mess and helped me break down pens and stack panels. They even raked up and sacked all the wool bits from skirting, while I was in the house fixing a plate of food for the shearer to take with him. Then we all headed in the house for a late lunch and to collapse for a bit.

The days after shearing were mild, with a little rain, so the sheep had an easy adjustment period. There were a couple of shivery mornings, but nothing a little running around baa-ing for their grain wouldn't cure. It was nice to see the weather cooperate and the sheep have an easier time of it. I guess that is one perk of shearing later.

It is a great relief to have shearing behind me, now on to other tasks!

Newly bald Gracie (right) and her daughters Nancy (left) and Hope (in back)

Redford

Minwawe Redford

The other day I was surfing around looking at lamb photos, and I hopped over to check out

Poor Ridge Ranch . I once had a ram named Minwawe Redford, my first spotted sheep. He was a cute little thing and very sweet. He stayed here for two breeding seasons and gave me some lovely ewe lambs. He helped improve fleece considerably and added the fawn color into my flock. However he was a miserable little bugger, as he had to room with Jeff the Rotten, Callum (Jeff's wethered brother) and Drake (Callum's ram son). Jeff didn't like him much, and tended to pick on him. Drake could get by with murder, maybe because he was family, but if Red so much as looked wrong he was in for it. Red was not a fighter and didn't even participate in the little tussles that rams seem to enjoy. He ended up on the bottom of the totem pole pretty quickly. I felt mighty sorry for him. Since I had several of his daughters it seemed best to try and find him a happier home.

I was thrilled when Terry from Arkansas decided to purchase him. She had a few unregistered ewes and later acquired some registered ewes from Locksley to round out her flock. He left for his new home in January one week before the massive ice storm hit this area.

This year it looks like Red produced a lovely crop, with several spotties. I absolutely loved this picture when I saw it on the website and asked for permission to post it here. Red looks pretty content, even with little lambies jumping around on him. Hope you enjoy!

(I promise I'm working on lamb posts!)

Finale

It's over. Thankfully. OVER. For another year. Let's just say it's been a busy week and I've not regained my sheepie composure yet.



On that note I'll leave you with a few photos and hopefully lots of catch up posts in the next few days. I'm off to bed, for what I hope is a good nights sleep and no barn checks....

A Word About Cats....

Her Royal Highness Tibby

Tibby is one of the unsung critters around here. She came here in 1999, already grown. She lives outside, but is a permanent fixture of the breezeway. She has an elaborate little house that I constructed for her, so she'd be comfortable during the winter. She also has her very own heating disc for really cold nights. She never roams very far, and likes to tootle around with Ariel when Boone isn't out in the yard. I call her and Ariey, my old woman greeting committee, as they are the first ones I see when I pull in the driveway.

Dixie--Special Delivery

I just got this cat in the mail today...or not. This is Dixie--she came in 2003 (already grown and pregnant). She is also an outside cat and roams all over. Sometimes she will be gone for days. She has always been like that. Her and Echo decided this box of wool I made up for them at the start of winter, was a fine place to sleep. After ignoring it all winter long....

Sage Rotten-Grass Cat

And this is what I have to put up with when I go in the house. In this photo I'm basically trapped. If I let go, he bites. This never ends well, but I'm always optimistic.

Ham Hocks = Happy Dogs

Ariel munches her ham hock, keeping an eye out for thieves

The dogs appreciated their ham hock treats on this grey misty day. They don't get them very often, every few months or so, so they really enjoy them--even Ariel who snubs most chew treats these days.

Boone enjoys his, using their bed as a table.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, of serious bone chewing

Smug Tabitha Lambs

What Ram? What Lambs? I can't hear you.....

Oh..those lambs...
(Even though this picture is slightly blurry, I love it.)

Tabitha broke the "Monday Lambing" streak when she presented me with twin ewe lambs early Wednesday morning. Firstly Tabitha was not supposed to be in the breeding group this year--she was the first of the Just Jack breakout conquests. I did have her down though as a possibility but not until Sunday. Secondly last year she carried on something terrible pre-lambing, because she thought she'd had her lambs already and someone had stolen them. So I expected the same this year. Thirdly I was in no condition to be checking up on her, since I had a tooth surgically extracted late Tuesday afternoon and was knocked out on Tylenol (it doesn't take much...)for most of the night. All that to say----I didn't do night checks and even if I did I sure wasn't expecting it to be her--Duckie is the one I'm keeping my eye on. Therefore when I went out to feed about 6:00 a.m. and Tabitha didn't come down to eat, my brain very slowly registered...Uh Oh. When I walked up to the barn I saw a dark blob standing next to her, and heaved a sigh of relief. Good, she already had it and it was standing. When I walked into the barn I saw a second little shadow behind her. Doubly good! The larger lamb was already dry and Tabitha was working on the second one. First check was for horn buds...yippee! None! However since I've been fooled before, I did a more thorough check when I caught them to put them in the lambing jug. Twin ewe lambs. What pretty little girls they are too. I know this is shocking, but yes they are solid moorit with head splashes! ;-)

Tabitha's first ewe lamb.

This is the way I like to see them--already born, dried and nursing when I find them. I had to go on into work, so I dipped their navels and gave them some nutridrench and trimmed Tabitha's udder area. I thought both were doing well, but I'm always concerned when I have to go off.

Tabitha is about the sweetest creature on earth (maybe only exceeded by her daughter Rosemary) so it was pretty funny that she decided to push me around a little. The first indication was when I picked them up to move to the jug and she threw her body in front of me repeatedly to get me to stop and let her babies go. Once in the stall, she would put herself between me and them. Then later that night when I was taking pictures, I was trying to get a good shot of the smaller ones ears, so I was holding her head a little to the side. Tabitha put a stop to that--she took her head and gently butted my hand away. Enough of that, she seemed to say. She did that several times before I got the hint. Mom and babies seem to be doing great. If the weather weren't so icky today, I'd let them out awhile. Maybe tomorrow.

First Ewe Lamb again.

The bigger girl has some pretty good splashes on her face and head area and is a darker color. The smaller ewe has a white marking on her forehead. Her ears are a light golden color---I couldn't get a good photo of them though. Both girls have good tight crimp, although the smaller one is more consistent throughout.

This brings the lamb count to 7--4 girls and 3 boys.

Tabitha's Second Ewe lamb.

This morning I went out to check the little hooligans and count heads. I heard Rosemary (always talking) come into the paddock, so I thought it'd be a good time to see if the babies were all still okay. Rosemary was in the Shetland barn and I counted, one, two...wait three! babies. Rosemary did you know you now have three babies? It seems like Freddie Fender who is River's ram, likes to hang out with Marty Robbins, Rosemary's ram so he was tagging along with them. All of sudden Freddie realized his momma was not there, so he went tearing around screaming for her. About the same time River, who was out in the pasture realized that her baby was missing and she started yelling for him. As she came running out of the pasture, she suddenly acquired two lambs, neither of which were hers. So here is River, running to Freddie, with Eve and Conway hot on her heels...and hot on their heels are Lark and Luna mothers of the last two lambs. It was quite funny, and full of drama of course. Those poor mothers are hard pressed to keep up with their lambs once they are a week or two old. Some of them give in and just become neglectful moms and others wear themselves out trying to keep an eye on their unruly offspring.

Two more pictures of the second ewe lamb

Sheep Shanty Town
Rosemary on the left, Lark in front and Tabitha in the back

With more lambs on the ground, I have to start dividing up the bigger stalls to pen ewes and lambs up at night. The first few ewes that lamb get to enjoy large stalls, then as more and more lamb, I use panel dividers with small gauge wire along the bottoms to divide up the bigger stalls. The dividers can be opened and wired to the sides of the pen during the day, to let the newest moms have a little more room, after I turn out the older lambs and ewes. It gets kinda complicated for a few weeks, but it's easier to do it like this so that the moms are used to going up, so that the night before shearing I can get them all up with minimal problems. (Theoretically)

Have a good weekend and beautiful Easter!

Books...Books...Everywhere Books.....

Well, since I mentioned that my book shelves were clean, I did decide to 'take a picture' so you can see the true scope of my addiction. This is my main 'book nook' but I have other smaller stashes of books throughout the house (several...lots...of stashes).

The nook consists of an 'L' shape area, made up of several free standing book shelves (one of which is an old entertainment center), as well as some shelves I put up on the wall above the bookshelves.

Outside of the 'nook'. (Almost ran out of room on this big shelf, but then discovered the top wasn't being used for anything important like more books....)

Inside the 'nook' (Same shelf, other side)

Back wall of the 'nook'. (Yes, that second shelf if sagging....)

What I really need is more shelves. Lots more shelves. I feel pretty comfortable posting these pictures right now, because Michelle is busy with lambing, and so is her backup plan, Allena, so the threat of an intervention is pretty small. (Thumbs nose...in a loving shepherdly way, of course).

(Pat, do those shelves along the back wall look familar? :-) Vicki your books are located on the 'inside nook' photo, second shelf from the bottom. I left a little extra room there, so Ms. Birdie's book'll fit! Maybe by the time a new Elizabeth book comes out, I'll have more book shelves! Maybe need a bigger house too......

Rosemary's Babies--12 Days Old

Rosemary's Ram Lamb, enjoying a good scratch

Marty Robbins the Ram Lamb
Can you see that tight crimp on his fleece? It is very consistent from stem to stern.

Here are some updated pictures of Rosemary and her mini twins. They are actually 'normal' size now, but still pretty small. You can see there is a difference of about two inches in the ewe lamb (the biggest) and the ram lamb.

Rosemary's Ewe, peeking out around mom

The little ram has some splashes of white on his head, but the ewe lamb is pretty solid. She might have a little white in her ears, but I can't remember. All these little lambs run together in my mind at times.

Rosemary's Ewe Lamb---She wants to brave

Rosemary is a good mom. She had such a rocky start to it all, and she is such a sweet little soul, that I felt sorry for her. She has only 'lost' a baby once, and came back for him immediately (he got mixed up with the wrong lamb and ewe). It really is hysterical to hear these tiny babies baaing for their moms. They sound like the munchkins on Wizard of Oz....

Rosemary & Twins (note her mouth is open as usual)

Rosemary is also very vocal. She always has been, even as a lamb. She talks to herself, the other sheep, me..... This has only gotten worse now that she has lambs. The only time she shuts up is when she is eating. I hope her lambs don't take after her in this regard.

Rosemary's Ewe Lamb

A River Runs...I Mean..Lambs.....

Three Ring Just Jack x Fairlight River

Yes, this little lamb was five days old before I took his picture. Somebody shoot me now. I do have excuses--involving teeth, root canals, blah blah---but still, it smacks of the old 'last baby born' syndrome. (You know---all the pictures taken of the first kid, and by the time the third or fourth comes along there are what, like two baby pictures taken?)

No wonder the poor little tyke thinks that his bed is a feed pan. So anyway, a little late, but here is introducing River's single ram lamb---Freddie Fender! Ta da! Yes, he is a solid little moorit with some white head splashes. (This may seem like deja vu all over again). He is a nicely built little guy, well maybe not so little. His entry into the world was (as far as I know) uneventful and River had him cleaned up and he had nursed by the time I came home from work. River and I had some misunderstandings over the next few days, but she has since mended her ways. (Wherein I had to steal her baby and hold him hostage to get her to change her mind about getting put up for the night).

This little guy is very friendly. Tonight he rammed me. Yup all, what, 10 pounds of him? Little turkey. It's hard to take seriously, but as we well know this won't be cute at 100 pounds, so his tough love starts now. For starters I simply lift his chin and let him enjoy attention that way. The next attempt, the correction starts. I do enjoy having friendly lambs, instead of wild snots, so will encourage them to be friendly and civil.

On the same subject, in the next stall over, friendly little Conway has suddenly decided that he is deathly afraid of me. I'm not sure why. He is really heart pounding, run for your life afraid, poor little sod. I've been sitting with him and his mom in their stall at night, since this started, to get him used to me handling him. I don't force it, but I do touch him, and scratch him, while he huddles next to mom.

Up in the main barn, Eve continues to love scritches and scratches after she and her mom get put up for the night. She is such a pretty little girl. Rosemary and her twins are finally able to join everyone else out on pasture during the day. Her babies are now about typical newborn size, and do a fine job of hustling to stay up with mom. Her little ram, Marty Robbins (I'm sorry, ..somehow this boy name theme just happened!) is something else. That boy loves to be held and scratched and he will cock his head around like some poodle on meth trying to be as cute as possible so he will get more attention. Meanwhile his shy sister peeks out from behind her momma and tries to figure out what all the fuss is about.

Want to hear something a little...odd...? Every lamb born this year to date has been born on a Monday! Defying lambing dates, high pressure systems, moon phases, whatever, when Monday rolls around, lambs arrive. Very bizarre. Monday number one was Eve. Monday number two was Rosemary's twins and later in the evening Luna. Monday number three was Freddie Fender. I have another ewe that could be due anytime, but I figure it'll be Monday before she decides to lamb......

Of Butterflys, Morels, Clover & Unicorns

Okay...maybe no unicorns. But check out this Butterfly! This gorgeous feller(a) was hovering over the less than glamorous barn lot, when it caught my eye. It was still there when I got back from rushing in to get my camera. I did a little quick research, but my book is kinda limited. I think it's a Kite Swallowtail, but if someone knows for sure what it is, I'd love to know. I have never seen this flashy butterfly around here before. It was very obliging to having it's picture taken, maybe a bit sluggish in the early Spring air.

Then there was the little walk I took out into the front ram paddock (minus rams). It hasn't been consistently warm here, so it was quite a surprise to see the morels popping up everywhere! My Mom has been harvesting these little goodies from this paddock for years, so I let her know they were up. She came up today to harvest them, since we are suppose to get some freezing weather in the next few days. Normally we might have left some of them to grow a bit, but with the cold air moving in, we cut most all we could find. A few were left and a few crumbled and scattered, to hopefully reseed. When we got done, we had nearly a pound and half! It still seems pretty early for them, but I'm just glad they were discovered before they froze off. Tonight I had my first taste of morels after all these years. Mom sent some home with me after she fried up a mess of them. Very good.


The grass is greening up and growing like crazy. We had a good rain this past week--actually several of them--and it really made a difference. Again with the cold snap moving in, there will probably be damage to the grass, but it sure is a pretty sight today.
Clover field....
Yesterday was a rare perfect day in the Ozarks. Sunny, warm, blue sky. It sure was appreciated and enjoyed. Today was still mild and sunny, but the wind was a pistol and made working outside a challenge. I did get some planting done in the 'salad' garden. Onions, carrots, spinach, lettuce and beets today. My tomato plants are growing steadily and I think they might be outgrowing their little pots! The peppers finally came up and are about two inches tall.

Yesterday my Dad helped me put out two round bales for the sheep. I am going to have lots of hay left over this year. I think this is the first time ever, that I've had a surplus of hay. I'm not sure, but I think I have at least six big rounds left, not counting the two I just put out. Blue and Lanny ate one bale all winter! The one I just put in with them should last them well into summer. They will get some grass supplementing once their other pasture gets a little more growth on it. The ewes are less than thrilled with their round bale, hoping instead to be turned onto that lovely grass on the lower pasture. Not yet girls, not yet...

Have a great weekend.