Trash Talkin'

Fairlight Callum

This is the wether that was Jeff's twin and companion. He is also seven this year. Yes, he is registered--he was a ram for several years and sired two offspring. (Well, actually four, but two were cross breds). If you note his horns, you can see 'where' he became a wether in the baseline horn growth. Interesting, huh? It does go to show that wether horn growth does continue, but at a much slower and smaller rate. He is living with the ewes for now, and so far so good. He is very busy, keeping up with all the activity. From being an old bachelor that lived a rather secluded quiet lifestyle to being dumped into a frenetic family life hasn't given him much time to pine.

Hey kid, watch me set this big guy straight....

He is enjoying the grain treat in the morning that everyone gets (I know it's not good for him....), running out to pasture with everyone in a wild melee. Coming in at night and hoping to sneak past me and in with the ewes and lambs to get more grain--sorry fella not happening.

Hey you! Watcha looking at? You want a piece of this? huh?

Rouen was in heat shortly after he joined the flock, and boy that was exciting. (Rolls eyes). That kept him busy following her around for a day or so.

He gets to keep up on all the latest sheepie gossip now, and watch the girl fights that break out from time to time. Mostly he just ignores the pesky little lambs.

Hey, dontcha think we are gettin' a little old for this fighting stuff? Why don't we just pretend we are tough stuff? Win-win for both of us...and lots less work....

Oh, and there is his little altercations with Blue. Remember Blue the big Merino ram? Well he shares a fence line with the ewes. Which means he now shares a fence line with Callum. Which means they had to trash talk and have it out. Which was really a little pathetic, since neither one are youngsters. Cal can't ram very hard because of his previous back injury and Blue hasn't got much omph and who wants to tangle with those horns anyway? So now they just snort around a little and call it a day.

Things seem to be going pretty good. I think we are set for the summer anyway, and Cal seems to be adjusting to his new life. He clearly earns respect from everyone just because of his horns, so there hasn't been any fighting from the main peanut gallery (the ewe flock).

Cal on top the old haystack, with Lanny (the merino/dorset wether in the front). That is Rouen, my oldest sheep at ten, off to the right and a couple of this years lambs in back.

And speaking of Blue, I thought I'd enclose this picture of him. Forgive the funky hairdo--I still need to shear his head and neck. If you remember he got so sick and skinny over the winter I feared he wasn't going to pull through. With lots of the homemade rumen remedy recipe and some good tips from fellow shepherds he rallied and seems to be doing well now. Still a tad ribby, but not thin anymore. He had a wool break from being so sick, so I was able to hand pluck and shear out his wool. Blue was nine in January, so we will just take each day as it comes.

Old Blue the Merino ram