Lambing? Check!

I guess I've been a bit remiss in updates about how the lambing all went this year. (Sorry 'bout that.)

Well... I'm happy to report 10 healthy lambs running around our little 2 acre piece these days.  (Whew!)  So yes, Stella and Sunshine birthed 2 healthy lambs without missing a beat, as suspected.  Dulcie did birth triplets again, and since we knew to keep an eye on her, we watched all 3 born, easily and quickly, and dear mama Dulcie took all three of the little rams and is nursing them all!  Wow.  She is my rock star.

Moo, on the other hand... she birthed twins again, the first born easily and the "right" way... #2 came out backwards, and with a great deal of effort by mama and quite a bit of help from me.  Poor thing.  I wonder if she's just not cut out for the whole thing.   She nurses and cares for them amazingly, but the whole birth thing?  I shudder to think what would happen if we weren't around to help her.

Moo and her lambs

And Smudge?  Gosh, we didn't even think she was pregnant, and she popped a single lamb out one evening while we were having dinner.  Poor thing had this bewildered look on her face like she had NO idea what was happening to her.  She took to mothering like a natural though, and a bossy mama too, always yelling for her little boy.  Good practise, I hear, for a young ewe like Smudge to only have the 1 lamb to deal with.

Sunshine's little ewe lamb

So here we are, several weeks later, and everyone doing very well.  A happy shepherdess over here :)

Ignorance is Bliss

... it is, in regards to sheep anyway.

Last Year, I had no idea what to expect.  And the first lambs came over night and surprised me in the morning, all cleaned up and perfect.  This Year, because of last year, I'm watching closely.  According to the day we got the ram, and how long a ewe's gestation is, first lambs could have started arriving on March 16.  Here we are on the 18th, and my poor sheep look like they could burst at any second: they are grunting a lot, their udders are HUGE and they seem so uncomfortable.

And last year, the ewes were all first timers, as was I, so we all learned stuff together.  Now, fortunately or unfortunately, I'm watching for certain things.  For example?  "Moo" birthed both her babies backwards.  Healthy and wonderful, but thank goodness I was around to give her a hand or it may not have ended so nicely.  So I'm watching her.  And her sister, Dulcie, birthed triplets, but after the first 2, she looked like she was done, so we let her be.  And unfortunately found #3 dead in the straw the next morning.  It could have been born dead for all I know.  But this year, I know she's fully capable of birthing more than 2, so I'm watching her too.  Stella and Sunshine both birthed beautifully on their own, so I'm not too worried about them.  And then there's Smudge - Stella's little white lamb from last year.  I think she might be preggers too, but I held her back from the ram a bit, to give her a chance to grow up a little more on this end of things, so I'm still not sure if she took.  We'll have to wait a bit to find out.

As there were no lambs in sight this evening, it'll be at least another day or 2 of watching...

Embracing 2014

Well... it's been a while.

I had every intention of writing for the last... well, since the last post really... I have lots to say (wink)... it just didn't happen.  (Obviously.)

We were away on a little jaunt to Southern California for a sunshine break  and I couldn't seem to log on to post anything.  And now, I want to write stuff, but my camera's on the fritz.  So finally, I figured I'd just jot down a few things... a "to-write" list, if you will:
- a photo of my finished shalom sweater (which I LOVE, btw)
- an easy-peasy pattern for a simple cowl that I knit on the road (when I was FREEZING on the Oregon coast), in a light grey, Royal Alpaca.  Dreamy.
- a soap-box version of what I think of this latest backyard chicken craze
- chicken update (all those babies from last year?  All grown up and Gorgeous!) & plans for 2014 babies!
- sheep update (Yep, I think they are all preggers -- due anytime after March 16)
- a mild rant on my frustrations and successes with home-schooling
- book reviews on 3 (!) novels I read while away.

.. and a few other things.

Suffice it to say, that I'm REALLY glad 2014 is here because 2013 was not my favourite year.  Putting a positive spin on it, I did A LOT of learning (read: made a ton of mistakes) and I'm looking forward to putting my learning into practise this year.  (Lesson #1: NO PIGS).

That is all.

For now (another wink).

Welcome Back Apollo!

Heeee's baaaaaack!  And he's bigger -- much bigger!
After several lengthy family discussions, the conclusion was reached that although shipping the lambs off in the fall is very sad, the joy we get from seeing them born and having them bopping over the pasture all summer far outweighs the sadness at the end of it all.  Daughter thinks it will get easier, as it did with the extra roosters and turkeys that ulitmately end up in our freezer.  I guess we'll see about that. 

I realized today why so many books are written on farm stories.  Because so many ridiculous things happen on farms.  Like today.  Hubby and I went over to a neighbor farm to pick up our stud-Ram this morning.  Same Dude as last year.  And yes, that's Dude with a Capital D.

Well.  My neighbor shepherds have a lot more sheep than we do and do things a little different than we do.  They don't have time to pussy-foot around.  Ahem.  We do.  So, instead of their suggestion of tying him up and dragging him into a cage on the back of their well-equipped pick up, we gently loaded him into the back of our mini van, furnished with soft hay and willow branches to munch on.  We were warned it wasn't a good idea.  He was going to vault over the seats and create such havoc that we'd probably have an accident on the way home... so they said.

Not so.  My dear hubby sat in the back of the van with him (ok, kind of "on" him) and talked nice to him and when he started to get a little jumpy, stroked his ears as I directed.  Mr. Man lay back down and totally relaxed. 

I think he remembered us.  I've read that sheep can remember people for up to two years.  We were nice to him last time and he knew that.  So he settled in for the short ride and seemed genuinely happy when he realized where he was going (thankfully, a short ride down the road).

And?  He got right down to business as soon as he was re-introduced to the girls.  We'll be seeing lambs in March.

Goodness.  

Sheep Dreams ...

I have sheep.  But they may soon be but a dream.

Sigh.

We bought our 4 little lambs a couple of years ago with the idea of breeding them -- for meat lambs, as they are hair sheep.  We raised them and then decided not to breed them that first year as our very sensitive (especially in the animal department) daughter couldn't bear the thought of sweet lambs going off to be "murdered".

So that opened up the discussion that we aren't keeping the sheep for pets, and if they aren't going to "earn their keep" by providing us with lambs that we in turn sell for other people's dinners, then we can't keep them.  Daughter decided that she can handle it if we don't get to know the lambs and whomever buys them (and then eats them) does not EVER speak of it to her.  Okay .... 

We bred the (now) ewes last October; they all gave birth to beautiful healthy lambs in March.  And yesterday, the last of them went off to the slaughterhouse.  Dear, sweet daughter was beside herself with the emotional pain of saying goodbye to these lambs we raised over the past 7 months.  We did end up keeping one lamb, Stella's little white girl, who has just the gentlest personality that she had to be spared.

It's again breeding time for the ewes.  But now, after witnessing our girl's reaction to the reality of raising lambs for the table, we need to revisit the conversation: how do we do this, and honor our child's feelings at the same time?  Is this something we need to harden her to, to force her to accept that this is what we do if we want to keep so many animals?  She doesn't have to come to the abattoir.  She doesn't see the carnage. She only has the images in her head. Granted, they are powerful images.

 Or do we abandon ship, truly honoring her feelings, and sell our little flock?

Selfishly, I say, but, what about MY feelings?  I feel like I have finally found something that matters to me.  Providing quality meat to my friends; raising the lambs as healthily and ethically as possible.  A very wise person once said, to change the world, you first must change yourself.  I want my food raised ethically.  So that's what I'm doing.  But I may not be supported in what I believe and enjoy, and may have to give it up.  And that makes me so sad.

So Much to Say ...

So Few Pictures!

Like, none :(

Things are rolling right along on our little slice of land, I just haven't had time.  There's couple photos I have taken, and will share as soon as I can get them downloaded, but for now, you'll just have to be patient and enjoy the mental images.

The lambs are getting SO big!  It's getting hard to tell who are the mama ewes and who are the babies.  I'm letting the mamas wean the babies gradually, instead of seperating them as most shepherds do after about the 2 month-mark.  For a couple of reasons.  I think my sheep are happier all together and I'd rather not shock the mamas into mastitus or something of the sort. Plus, I really don't have a lot of extra space to seperate them completely, far enough away from each other, and provide adequate housing so that they are safe from predators at night.  So, I'm going with the gradual wean.  And it's interesting to watch.  Being a long-term breast-feeder of both my babes (we're talking over 5 years and almost 5 years, respectively), it's just easier on the moms and babes, physically and emotionally.  And I'm noticing that the mama ewes are letting the lambs nurse less and less, and for much shorter periods (like, seconds!). So ya, right or wrong, that's what I'm doing and it seems to be working for my girls.

The ducklings hatched last week -- I started with 4 eggs in the incubator, and got four ducklings!  I had to help the last 2 out.  I think they might have gotten a little shrink-wrapped when I opened the incubator to nab the first two.  You're not supposed to do that either - open the incubator when there are critters hatching -- but ducks are messy and I didn't want them pooping on the other duck eggs or disturbing the turkey eggs that still had a week to go.  Ya Ya, I know, you're not supposed to do That Either -- put land poultry in with waterfowl, but hey, I'm on a bit of a roll of doing things against the grain.  So far, it's working for me; hopefully that continues.  We'll see when the turkeys are due to hatch this week!

The turkey mamas are doing fantastically with their babies in the netted yard.  We had a couple of casualties in the first day, when the little tiny poults were finding their way out of the pen through little tiny cracks we didn't even know were there.  But since then, it's been all good.  Mamas are keeping them warm, the poults are eating well and growing strong.  I have someone coming for 8 little ones this week, which will leave mama Tasha with 3 to raise.  Mama Violet still has her 3 (she hatched 10, I sold 4 and some winged predator gobbled down 3 before we could blink).

The chicks we hatched out this spring are all doing well.  My 4H Daughter is slowly but surely selling off her extra roosters to people who want "Daddy Birds" as opposed to dinner, which makes her very happy, and at this time, supplies her with just enough extra cash to pay for their food.  Man, those large breeds can EAT!  She's got the Buff Orphingtons, which we affectionately call "The Monsters".  They are so big, but so gentle, and they way they walk is a sight to behold.  It kind of reminds me of Jurrassic Park - Thud Thud Thud as they cruise the pasture.  Too Funny.  The marans and my 2 sweet little wheaton ameraucanas are coming along too.  They are just 10 weeks old, but so sweet and colorful!  It seems that out of my ameraucana eggs that hatched, I have gotten the ultimate chicken wish: 1 rooster and 1 hen.  Rooster has been named Sting (we name all the roosters after singers), and the hen?  "Happy".  'Cuz that's what I am that she's a hen :)

Lastly, for now anyway, I was perusing the chicken classifieds and thinking "I am NEVER going to find any dark silkies this year"  and lo and behold, the next ad I saw was just that -- Three 12 week old black silkies!  Obviously I didn't hesitate.  I was hoping to get a hen, but now it seems I may have a little breeding pair!  Oh bliss!

I'll sound off for now -- and publish again -- with Pictures! -- very soon.

Take care, friends.

:: In Progress ::

Well.  My dance card has been FULL lately, let me tell you!

So, in short, here's what's in progress around here ...

:: First batch of Buff Orphingtons are now old enough (and Big Enough!) to be in with the main flock
:: Second round of orphingtons - 3 buffs and 6 isobels - are in the transition yard beside the main flock
:: My birthday presents, the marans and wheaton ameraucanas, are now by themselves in the chick yard, covered by netting to protect them from winged predators
:: First hatch of turkeys happened Today!  Mama Violet hatched 10/10 eggs and is now in the Turkey Nursery yard, which is also covered with netting for the same reason as above
:: Tasha the Turkey hen is sitting on a clutch of eggs, due sometime next week
:: The garlic is going Mental
:: I have volunteer potatoes and New Zealand spinach in the garden - boy is it nice when plants come up all by themselves!
:: It's looking like a good crop of strawberries and raspberries this year!
:: We gave away 1 drake (kept 1), and are hatching ducklings in the incubator next week
:: The lambs are now 10 weeks old, and the boys have all been castrated (!)
:: My "shalom" sweater is near completion!

We've plateau'ed for a bit now -- garden is mostly planted, the lambs don't need to be doted upon, the chicks are all outside and doing well, the turkey mamas and babes have protection.  It's all just basic management at this point.  The ducklings will stir things up a bit next week and will require a little extra attention, and I have turkey eggs in the incubator too and my fingers are crossed that all goes well there.  I've only ever had mama-hatched poults before and they do SO well with mama.  Why the incubator then?  I had turkeys laying eggs all over and no one sitting on them, and really, at $15 per poult, it's a bit of gold when they hatch.  All the money we get from selling baby turkeys goes to feeding the rest of the birds, and it would be so nice not to dip into our personal savings to feed everyone this winter.

Next update: ducklings!

See you soon....

Spa Day for Sheep

Even though I'm sure sheep don't think of it like we do -- relaxing, meditative, pampering -- I am sure they feel better afterwards, when they are not so hot and their feet are flat on the ground again.

We have hair sheep, yes, but there's Stella (it's always Stella) who decided to be a hair sheep with wool, and a a BLACK sheep at that.  I could skip a year and have her sheared every second year, but given our Okanagan summers, that would be just mean.  We can get over 35C for days, sometimes weeks, on end in July or August.  And their feet?  Well, they grow... and grow... and if they're not trimmed at least once/year then the sheep can develop a whole host of problems from a compromised posture, to lameness, or even foot rot if some of the stuff they step in becomes lodged in the pockets of their hooves for too long.  And then that can develop into bacteria that then invades your whole pasture.  So, because I love my sheep and have this unspoken vow to care properly for the animals that we share our lives with, I fork out the money every spring for their spa treatment.

Stella BEFORE

Besides.  The shearers are quick and do it properly and they don't live here.  My sheep will still see me as the nice one if I'm not the one flinging them to the ground.  It kinda looks like that.  But once you get them in a sitting position -- 

Stella DURING

-- they can't really move around much.

Poor, dear Stella.  I am thankful that their lambs know them by smell and not by looks!  Sweet thing looks like her head is too big for her body!

Stella AFTER

Her lambs were happy to have their mama back!

All the lambs crowding at the gate to get away from the crazy people doing crazy things to their mamas!

Dulcie getting her nails done

I've been dealing with these shearers for several years now, on and off.  They used to come to our place to shear our llamas and alpaca several years ago before we sold them, and now they come for the sheep.  They are very efficient and thorough, not to mention complimentary.  Two years in a row now, they have said what a nice bunch of ewes we have (last year they thought we should breed them, obviously we listened), and this year were very impressed with the crop of lambs.  They also were saying how abundant the ewes' bags (udders) were.  Apparently, the hair sheep breeds are not always known for having substantial milk.  Ours apparently do.  I take these compliments to heart, as I do think I treat my "girls" very well, and they seem to be happy, as far as sheep go.

Stella, Slow and Steady

Well, she did it.  A full week behind the other ewes, but that's typical of Stella.  This is one sheep who does things when she wants.  We call her our "goat-sheep".

She had been showing signs of being "close up" for several days, and then when she started leaking fluids, we knew it was anytime, so we just kept watch over her.

She birthed 2 little beauties last Wednesday evening, just before the kids' bedtime, which means they got to snuggle brand-new lambs before tucking in themselves.    Stella, of course, needed no help and both lambs are beautiful and healthy.  The little ewe -

- looks just like Dad, and her brother --

-- just like Stella.

Because they are a full week behind the other lambs (10 days behind Sunshine's), Stella is preferring to keep to herself.  She is out with the other sheep during the day, but at night I'm still putting her in a stall with just her little ones for company.

I'm sure these two will be bouncing around the pasture with the rest of the gang (they do look like a gang of lambs when they're all hanging out together) soon enough.

Frost on the Fringe

Oooh, it was a chilly one this morning.  Not as chilly as some of my friends in Alberta, mind you, but cold enough.  Once the sun peaked over the hill behind our house, the frost faded away for the most part, but lingered in the shadowy places, like the shadow of the garden gate.

The lambs were not quite sure what to think of it either.  I try to keep them all in the barn all curled up and cosy in the fresh straw, but their mothers have other ideas.  I swear they can hear me come out the front door, no matter how quiet I try to be, and start bellowing to be let out onto the pasture.  The lambs, thankfully, are all doing well, and can keep themselves warm running races all over the pasture -- sometimes right over top of their mothers!  Yes, quite a circus around here lately.

Michie casts a disdainful look -- not sure if it's at the frost, or those pesky lambs who keep getting in the way of her barn mousing adventures.

Oh, and Stella had her babies on Wednesday night!  Two sweet little ewes - one white and one black - born in the early evening, quick and uneventful (as far as birth goes!).  Pictures in a few days after they are well-acquainted with each other.

Waiting on Stella

So, update on little lambs -- we now have 6!  After Sunshine's surprise last weekend, "Moo" followed on the Sunday with 2 more little bundles.  This birth was special for a couple of reasons.  We were privileged enough to be there to witness it, for one.  And to have the wherewithall to help her, for 2.  Both her lambs decided to come out backwards, as in, back feet and bum first.  Poor Moo was exhausted trying to evict the babes, so the situation soon became exigent.  Both daughter and I were available to pull the first little one out, dry it off and warm it up under mama's nose, and then daughter held onto it to give the poor mama some space to repeat the process with the 2nd lamb.  Thankfully, Moo still accepted both lambs happily after she was finished! Sometimes after a particularly trying labor, sheep will not show any interest in their offspring.  This was a worry, not only because of the difficult entrance, but because Moo herself was rejected by her own mother and bottle-raised by our family.

Then, 2 days later, Moo's sister Dulcie decided to have a go.  She birthed 2 beautiful little ones without ceremony or fuss.  We just sat back and watched.  With tea and popcorn.  (I'm not kidding!)

She birthed them both one right after another, so I am thankfull we were there for this birth as well.  The first little lamb needed some attention and drying off while her mama pushed out her bigger brother.  After this, the amazing Dulcie went right to work cleaning them both off and seemed quite relaxed and contented.  It was nearing our dinnertime, so we tucked the new mom in with her lambs, and went in for dinner.  We checked on her later, from a distance, and all seemed well.  Alas, when we went in to the pen with her the next morning, we sadly found a third lamb, dead in the straw.  It hadn't even been licked off.  It seemed fully formed, but either was born dead, or mom was just too overwhelmed to deal with it.  Next time, I will check and watch more closely.  Dulcie and Moo were actually part of triplets themselves, but their mom decided she could only handle one, so rejected our two little ladies.  Dulcie took a few days to get the hang of all this mothering stuff, but both the lambs and mama seem to be doing well now.

And then, there's Stella.  Stella who has always done things her way, and on her schedule.  She is our black sheep.  And a full week after her herd sisters have had their lambs, we're still waiting on Stella.

Today, Stella was acting strangely, even for her.  Wandering aimlessly.  Staring off into space.  Unable to get comfortable.

Hmmm.

I wonder what we'll wake up to tomorrow.

First Peek at New Lambs!

Oh, we've had some excitement around here lately.  By my calculations, our first possible lambs could arrive around March 9th.  So as I am heading out to the barn on the morning of the 9th, I remind daughter that lambs could be making an appearance very soon.

Lo and Behold!

Unbeknownst to us, Sunshine had lambed over night, giving life to 2 sweet little things, 1 ram lamb and 1 ewe lamb, right in the middle of her herd sisters!  She had them all cleaned off and nursing and seemed like an old-hand at all this mama business, even though it was her very first experience.

We closed her up in the barn for the first 3 days, like the "books" all say to do (I have to follow the books, as this is MY first experience as well!), but by the morning of the 4th day, she was demanding to be let out into the yard for some fresh air and exercise.

She is doing just fine, as are her babies, and I will post more photos soon.

Hello March!

Well... Can I say it?  Spring has Sprung!

And with it, my dear sweet ewe's ever-widening bellies!

It's only the very beginning of March, but it truly felt like the end of April today.  We were outside all afternoon, digging in the garden, frolicking with chickens, and checking out the state of the very pregnant sheep.

Here's Sunny, who's not as far along as Dulcie...

And for those who haven't seen a pregnant sheep close up, and for my own records as I am totally new to this realm of sheep-keeping, here is Dulcie:

Dulcie from the front...

... and from the back.

 I am hoping that this time next year, I can look back on theses photos, and go, 'Oh, right, so they have x more days/weeks to go when they look like this."  Dulcie's and Moo's (they are sisters) udders are getting quite full and they have a waddle happening as they stroll across the yard.  They are moving none too fast these days.  We're all having a guess as who's carrying what.

For the record, we think that Dulcie and Moo, both quite wide, will birth first and have twins.  They themselves are from triplets.  Sunny and Stella will be a little later, a couple of weeks maybe, and birth singles.  This is what we're thinking anyway.

A Buff Update:
It was SO warm out today, 13C this afternoon, and plenty warmer in the (new!) greenhouse where these little ones were having a party!

Oh, the things to discover when you're new to the world outside!

And, in the garden, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I hadn't killed the rhubarb, and it's coming up!

And the garlic too!! Wow, must be spring!

Fresh Knits, Fresh Eggs

Ok, this time I'm absolutely and shamelessly coping Soule Mama's picture of a couple of weeks ago.  It was just So Cool, I couldn't help myself.

My first knits are fingerless gloves, much like hers, only for me.  My first knit from wool that I washed, carded and spun myself.  Only difference is it's not from my sheep.  I don't have woolies yet.  But I did buy the fleece straight from the shepherdess, so pretty close.  Hers were for the guy who does most of the farm chores, and is out in the elements several times over the course of the day.  Well, over here, that's Me.  And the eggs?  Well, the blue is an ameraucana, the green is from Banana, an Easter Egger, and the brown, one of our faithful cross-breed layers.

Two of my favorite things, in one picture.

To Spin a Yarn...

I've been debating about this post for over a week now.  I was all set to post something more on spinning and yarn and sheep... but then my favorite blogger Amanda Blake Soule posted something SO similar I just couldn't bare to mirror her... even though I totally am, but not by design.  We just happen to be very interested in the same things.  Probably why I enjoy her blog so much.  Hmmmm.

I may have mentioned, I bought an entire unwashed fleece from Margaret at Ranfurly Farms last March.  I washed it, carded it, and now, spun it...

plyed it (with itself)

And ...

Ta-Dah!  My first "real" skein!

 I have a few before this one, but THIS one really felt like I knew what I was doing, though I'm still not totally consistent with the gauge. Yet.

I have rented a spinning wheel for the month of February, as one whole fleece actually gets one a whole lot of wool.  I'd like to try dying some of it, but I'll hopefully spin it all first.  I haven't knitted anything with it yet, as my priority right now is getting something done for my little man whose birthday is fast approaching.  And, with a deadline of the end of February, I want to get as much spun as possible.  I figure that after I return the wheel, I'll have plenty of time while waiting for lambs to arrive to knit.  And ya, I'll probably copy Mrs Soule again and knit some fingerless gloves with the first skein... very practical for spring time and lambing time on the farm.

Wait. Did I say Lambing Time???

Yes.  Yes I did :)