Simply Sheep

[baymule]

New ram lambs, new puppy and top it off with hay! When you get rolling you really GO! LOL Your new ram lambs look good from here, what is their background and possible genetics? Your puppy is a pretty girl, I’m happy for you and hope she is all you want her to be. That is a super deal on the hay. And maybe a pond too? I hope you can get all the details worked out on that.

 

[Beekissed]

That fella had 31 bales total for sale, so I'm going back after the rest tomorrow. That's 31 bales for $155. Can't beat that for a winter's feed, huh?

 

[Beekissed]

New ram lambs, new puppy and top it off with hay! When you get rolling you really GO! LOL Your new ram lambs look good from here, what is their background and possible genetics? Your puppy is a pretty girl, I’m happy for you and hope she is all you want her to be. That is a super deal on the hay. And maybe a pond too? I hope you can get all the details worked out on that.

Don't know a thing about those lambs genetics other than they are Katahdin...their mothers are HUGE, make mine look small. The more I look at those rams, Bay, the happier I get....they are very well balanced sheep and their coats are just the right amount of hair/wool. Wide in the chest, nice brisket and rumps are well rounded, tail sets are high, back line is straight. The white has a larger scrotum~he's also longer and taller~ but both are well appointed for their age.

I think God gifted me well with those two. Time will tell what kind of lambs I get from them, but these guys look GOOD.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Bee, I'm so happy for you. All of your hard work, and planning is coming to fruition. And, the timing of that couldn't be better. God does provide for his children.

 

[Beekissed]

The rams are being held in the temp pen for now for acclimatization and so I can get them a little gentled to my presence. The chickens have been digging up the DL in there and the whole thing has been soaking up rain like a sponge, so I put two bales of mulch hay down in there so they would have more solid and dryer footing.....wouldn't you know it? they started to eat the 2 yr old mulch hay when they have barely touched the fresh alfalfa/orchard grass hay that was put up this last season. Sheep.

They learned to use the cooler drinker right away, as it's designed for smaller muzzles, and are now eating and drinking....the first few days all they did was bawl at the other sheep, no eating or drinking.

I let Blue in with them, as he seemed interested when they ran....saw a teaching moment. Put him in and then let them run past him....both parties came to a halt, the sheep put their heads down and Blue backed up and ducked away. An appropriate response. I like that.

The DL is rotting down nicely and the broody hens and chicks have been tearing it UP. When all sheep are out of there and I break down that pen, I'll start tossing oats in there to get the flock to do all the work for me on aerating it.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I'm so happy for you. All of your hard work, and planning is coming to fruition. And, the timing of that couldn't be better. God does provide for his children.

I know, right? I wish more people understood what it's like to have a Father Who is also God....it's a rich life in all ways.

 

[baymule]

Temps here are hitting in the high 80’s. Yesterday we were outside slaughtering chickens and it was hot. We always set up under two big oak trees for their shade. God provided a cooling breeze all day, I never broke a sweat. Surrounded by the beauty God created, we were serenaded by His song birds while we worked. We thanked God for the big beautiful meat chickens that will feed 3 families.

 

[Beekissed]

Temps here are hitting in the high 80’s. Yesterday we were outside slaughtering chickens and it was hot. We always set up under two big oak trees for their shade. God provided a cooling breeze all day, I never broke a sweat. Surrounded by the beauty God created, we were serenaded by His song birds while we worked. We thanked God for the big beautiful meat chickens that will feed 3 families.

It sounds like a blessed time, Bay! I love days like that, when you bask in the blessings of God and are cooled by a breeze while you do so. I spend most days around here like that, just thanking God as I chore along, for the beauty of the spring, for the gift of land and the joy of working as unto the Lord.

I love it that you are putting up winter's meat already! You've got a jumpstart on us all.

Had a broody hatch yesterday, not as large as the last one but a good half doz. chicks, so I'm grateful for each one. Will set two other broodies onto nests this morning.

 

[tortoise]

Don't "gentle" your rams. Makes them dangerous. The more afraid they are of you, the safer you are.

 

[Beekissed]

Building fence today...it's 78*, cloudy at times and breezy, for which we thank God! Had our final lamb born today, a single ewe lamb from June, a first time ewe that just turned 1 yr old. It's a nice size, with a good hair coat instead of tight woolly/hair ringlets like two of the ram lambs. She has a nice, long torso and seems a strong, vigorous lamb.

June seems like a good mother, which is a relief. All of it is a relief, as we were starting to think that maybe she hadn't bred this year, but then she started to bag up and show signs of lambing coming on.

So, 5 lambs total this year~4 rams, 1 ewe. That gives us 11 sheep on the land right now, but we'll be adding several ewe lambs later on this summer and later in the winter some ram lambs will be butchered here, while a few will be sold.

Two Anatolians in the sheep paddock and doing well minding the fences right now and I'm praying that continues. Will be sending Ben to another home with fences that are more efficient at containing a roamer soon...those folks are building fences right now too.

Gotta get back out there, I'm burning daylight!!