Posted on April 16, 2012 by Robin

It’s been a week since Meet the Sheep, our spring open house. My internet service has been sketchy and every time I started to add photos it was too slow and I gave up. I think technology has been upgraded and hopefully all is well with our internet tower. I can see that tower on the mountain several miles away (one of many–I don’t really know which it is–do you think they could put a ribbon on it so I can pick it out?) and if I can see it, shouldn’t the little thing on the roof be able to pick up the signal?

The Saturday of Meet the Sheep we had gorgeous weather and I know that was one reason we seemed to be so popular. Dozens of people came and enjoyed the sheep, the goats, fiber, fresh air, and a wonderfully sunny (dry) day. As always Farm Club members were a huge help.

Paulette always enjoys a good scratch.

This is an Angora kid owned by my friend, Julie, of Black Oak Ranch.

Julie brought kids and a bottle lamb, all of which were very popular.

She also did a dying demonstration.

Shelby brought her tame chickens.

Jackie demonstrated carding and…

…Alison taught a visitors how to spin.

First handspun yarn.

Photo opportunities

Fashion footwear

Checking out chickens

Fresh yarn

Of course it was all about Meeting the Sheep:

The grass really IS greener on the other side

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Robin

Faulkner, the BFL ram lives with his buddy, Jerry, because I don’t want to put him up against the adult Jacob rams with horns. He lives in what used to be the pig pen back in our 4-H and FFA days. I have been meaning to expand his pen ever since last year and finally got to it (with the help of son, Chris) yesterday.

Hey, Jerry, where are those bars? I can't see them.

Jerry: Dude, I don't see them either. I think there is some invisible force-field though. I wouldn't go any further.

What do we do now?

Faulkner: There is that annoying dog. Let's pretend we don't notice him.

Jerry: Hey, dude, the dog's power corrupted the forcefield and now we can get through.

Happy Sheep.

Pretty faces

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Robin

I think I am procrastinating, but I like looking at pretty sheep photos…especially when it’s dreary and raining outside.

This is a ram lamb but he doesn’t look so tough when he still has little tufts of hair on his horns.

Hot Lips

Rosie

Faulkner’s lamb

Nap Time

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Robin

Lambing: Two Failures & a Success

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Robin

Here is a story from last week’s lambing.

FAILURE: Last Thursday a big yearling, Helen, delivered a lamb that was dead when I found it.

FAILURE: The Saturday before that a yearling, Hattie, delivered twins. Both were alive, but one was almost dead when I found it. I think she had delivered standing up and when the lamb came out the body landed so that the lamb’s neck was bent back with the head behind. The lamb couldn’t shake its head to break through the membrane over its face and the mom was still working on Lamb #1. I removed the membrane and the lamb started breathing. I knew that this lamb wouldn’t be up right away so I milked the ewe and tube-fed the lamb with colostrum. Then I left the lamb there for the mom to clean and hoped that it would be strong enough to get up. When I came back less than an hour later the lamb was still breathing, but had not moved and was almost dead from cold.

I brought the lamb into the house. At this point it was breathing but it wasn’t moving at all. Here is how I warmed it.

This is a pot of water at about 100 degrees. I wasn’t keeping track of time (it was already 1 a.m.) but after the first water bath (10 minutes ?) the lamb’s body temperature was at 91 degrees. I filled the pot with more warm water two more times and eventually got the lamb’s temperature up to just over 100 degrees. I wrapped the lamb in towels warmed in the dryer and tube fed it with more colostrum. I was worried that if it did regain strength it would uncover itself and get cold again so I took it to bed with me. In the morning I thought it was probably dead because it hadn’t moved. No. It was alive. I put it in a crate in the kitchen and warmed milk for it. I was surprised that it actually sucked from the bottle. It tried to get to its feet but that was a struggle. Eventually the lamb could get up, but it was very wobbly. I also noticed at that time that one eye was opaque and blind. I couldn’t decide it the lamb was also blind in the other eye. I started thinking brain damage from oxygen deprivation just after birth. Eventually the lamb gained strength and was walking around OK, but was still blind in at least one eye.

SUCCESS: When I found Helen’s dead lamb I thought about trying to graft this house-lamb onto Helen. Helen wasn’t particularly interested, but at least she didn’t try to kill the lamb or get away from it. I skinned the dead lamb and used that skin as a coat on the new lamb.

Helen was not enthusiastic, but was more interested now that the lamb smelled right. The next problem was that the lamb had never nursed from a ewe and didn’t show any interest. (You can lead a lamb to the milk, but…) I left the lamb there since it didn’t seem to be in any danger and I thought that maybe it would at least have a mom to follow around even it I remained the food source. By the time I finished chores it was past feeding time for the lamb. I brought a bottle from the house and the lamb was definitely hungry. After a few mouthfuls and took the bottle away and moved the lamb over to the ewe. She started to root around, found the teat, and started to nurse! SUCCESS

This is the lamb with the dead coat removed.

The house was OK, but I'd rather have a mom.

Running with the Big Boys

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Robin

It was getting dark tonight when I took these photos with my i-phone so the quality isn’t great, but they are kind of amusing. Look at where this lamb ended up today.

I don’t think he was too happy about it.

But of course he wouldn’t let me catch him anymore than the big rams will let me catch them. They needed to be chased into a pen.

"Maybe it's not so bad being with these guys, especially with Dad here on my right."

"But Mom is still my favorite."

Summer & Paulette

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Robin

Go back to February 28th’s post to see Summer while still pregnant. She lambed three days later on March 2.

This is Summer with her ewe lambs at 4 days old. They were 7.2, 7.5, and 8 lbs at birth.

I think Paulette will take Summer’s place as “the sheep most likely to have triplets”.

In this case, I know that Paulette is having triplets. She was not supposed to be bred because she usually lambs at the State Fair. However, Faulkner got in with her and this is the result. A sonogram showed triplets…and this follows quads at the fair last year!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Robin

Today started at midnight when I went to the barn for a last check. I found a small lamb near Jazz who was obviously not done with lambing. There were two more lambs trying to come out at the same time.

All are OK now although that little one is sure small (only 4 .2 lbs) and I’ll have to keep an eye on him.

When I went to the house I left Laura in because I thought that she would lamb next. She was lambing when I went out in the morning, but during the night two other ewes had lambed. Fran had twins and…

Pamela had twin lilac (gray markings instead of black) rams. While I was moving sheep around and making more pen space two more ewes lambed. That’s 11 lambs, bringing the total to 44.

Here is what my barn chart looks like.

This is Dina with her lambs.

The lambs are getting playful. There will be plenty more jumping lamb pictures to come.

When is it Summer Time?

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Robin

There have ben 14 lambs born since yesterday morning. What fun! There will be photos and videos when I have time. I’m having a little contest over on the Meridian Jacobs Facebook page. Guess when Summer is going to have her lambs. Tell me day/hour on Facebook and you’ll be entered.