Hail-storm lambies update

What a great couple of days for the little fellows! Yesterday we moved them to a bigger pen and boy were they excited. Bounce, bounce, bounce...bounce, bounce, bounce! Today temperatures rose to the 70's and the cute little coats came off. Another milestone!

Blackberry Twins

About 8 o'clock this evening, Blackberry began wandering back and forth between the two gates in the corral bawling to get out in one of the fields. She had decided there was no way she was going to have her lambs in the barn; too warm and dry, I guess. Luckily there is a spot light on the back of the barn, but we still had to follow the poor ewe around with flashlights so we could check her progress. Around 10 o'clock, a ram lamb arrived, 12 lbs 3 ozs, very strong and rambunctious. He was bouncing, yes bouncing, around the corral in no time at all. Blackberry was so worried and distracted by him, it took her a really long time to begin pushing for the second lamb. Finally, a little ewe lamb, 9 lbs 6 ozs! We got everyone into the barn about 1 a.m. and gratefully headed to bed.

Tough morning

It has been a very emotional morning as Queen Elizabeth's little ram lamb died. It was doing fine when we checked on it during the night and early morning, but at 9 o'clock it had died. Queen Elizabeth kept pawing at the straw, crying and looking for her lamb. Jonathan and his friend, Megan, buried it near the Oreo's lamb that was born dead last year.
We have been so lucky both this year and last - to have only lost one lamb, not to have lost any ewes, but nevertheless it has been a tough morning.

Queen Elizabeth's lamb

The Q Liz had a tiny little ram lamb late this morning. We have been working with it all day as it was not strong enough to get up and eat on its own. Finally this afternoon it perked up and was eating unassisted. We are checking on it every hour or two. When we checked at midnight he was actually pawing at his mom demanding to be fed. Rejoice!

Enough snow already!

Spent all morning repairing the goat fence, again, from this very wet, very heavy snow!

Goats everywhere; dog mad, dog chasing (he doesn't like the goats); little lambies freaking out from all the confusion.

Enough with the snow already!

Hail-storm lambies update

We made coats from the legs of old sweatpants following a tip from Martha at Deer Run Sheep Farm. We are also supplementing with about an ounce and a half bottle milk per day as Daireann does not seem to be producing quite enough milk yet. The little fellows are a lot more active now, and very cute in their little coats.

Five Jugs Full!

Lambing has been going fast and furious. We are so thankful that Jonathan built the little lambing jug in the corner despite our protests. It has come in very handy!

You know the old song... "Baa, baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, five jugs full!"

Hail-storm lambies

We were just leaving the barn this morning, when it started raining; raining hard. All the ewes and lambs residing in the 'nursery' area came running in the barn, all but one. Uh Oh! We ran out looking for her. She was lying in the field, in labor, two little hooves beginning to show. When she saw us she got up and started toward us but then lay back down. It began to rain harder, so one of us ran back in the barn for towels and raincoats. Little Daireann struggled to get under the field shelter, but then the hail began. As it began to hail even harder, pounding the top of the shelter, the little ewe decided she had had enough. She high-tailed it to the barn, and was very relieved to reach 'safety'. Well all this excitement set things back a little bit, but in about 15 minutes she delivered a little ram lamb. Then much to our surprise, a second lamb began to appear, but this time a nose and only one hoof. Sharon did a wonderful job straightening out the lamb and assisting Daireann in the delivery. Another ram lamb!?? Yes, unbelievably, another set of twin rams, the third in a row. Oh well, another pair of beautiful lambs. Neither of us got a very good picture; too much excitement; an exhausting morning.

The End of a Long Day

Well at the end of this long day, Hera presented us with beautiful, black twin ram lambs. Each has a small patch of white wool on his head, the second one a bit more than the first. These are our first lambs sired by Sheeps and Peeps 606, Poseidon. Hera is a Border Leicester X Coopworth cross, and Poseidon is a Wensleydale-Coopworth X Cotswald-Border Leicester cross. So, we are really anxious to see how their wool develops as they get older. Poseidon produced a beautiful fleece as a lamb - 6 lbs. 9 ozs. with a very curly staple length of 6 - 7 inches.

Feisty and Daisy

The noon barn-check brought about a big surprise. Feisty was lying in front of the field shelter with a nice size ewe lamb. According to our lambing calendar, she was a week early. It was misty and a very strong wind was blowing up the hill from Wolf Creek, but mom and lamb were ok.

We got them into the barn and into a lambing jug where Feisty started a long process of patiently covering her little ewe with straw to warm her up.

When she got everything situated just so, she also snuggled down in the warm straw for a much deserved long rest. What a great mom!

Daisy is a Wensleydale-Coopworth X Lincoln Longwool cross.

Midnight arrival

Shortly after the midnight barn-check Kelly produced these great looking purebred Border Leicester twin ram lambs. Their sire is Spring Breeze 5017, Liam.

They are happy, healthy and look like they will have beautiful fleeces, but we sure have our fingers crossed that Queen Elizabeth comes through with a little ewe lamb.

Just can't get enough lamb pictures...

sunning lambs...












snuggling lambs...

Abbey's ram lamb

Abbey presented us with another ram lamb today. He is a sturdy looking fellow and is another lamb sired by Spring Breeze 5017, Liam. We certainly will have a nice crop of ram lambs to sell for breeding purposes.

Sunshiney Day

What a beautiful morning! Hera and Daireann are resting (though not very comfortably) under the maple tree. There is a beautiful blue sky and some of the lambs are romping nearby. Poor Hera and Daireann are so uncomfortable. Whenever they lie down there is a constant series of grunts and groans. The rest of us are sure enjoying the sunshine after the miserable, snowy weekend.

The Happy Sheep

The Happy Sheep

All through the night the happy sheep

Lie in the meadow grass asleep.

Their wool keeps out the frost and rain

Until the sun comes round again.

They have no buttons to undo,

Nor hair to brush like me and you,

And with the light they lift their heads

To find their breakfast on their beds

Or rise and walk about and eat

The carpet underneath their feet.

Wilfred Thorley

If it wasn't lambing time, we might have missed...

Overly large ewes patiently awaiting the miracle of birth.

Joy coming into the barn to snuggle with her twin sister, Faith, and Faith's little ewe lamb.

Hope's unending search for whatever is in the bottom of the hay feeder, resulting in this attractive spring hat.

Easter Present

A beautiful Easter present from Hope... twins... a ram and a ewe. Our first purebred Border Leicester ewe lamb! Sire is Spring Breeze 5017 'Liam' . Hope is a wonderful mother and the twins are doing great!

Hippity-hoppity!

Easter weekend weather