Welcome, Green!!

We are beginning to see a tinge of green in the trees here in the WV mountains!!

Meet Juliet

She is our little premie. Born around 8:30 a.m. yesterday, she did not even attempt to get up to nurse. She could not stand nor hold her head up. Even after hours of drying, massaging, etc. her back legs were still like wet noodles. We kept her under a heat lamp. We fed her lamb milk replacer, electrolytes and extra dextrose, calcium, etc. We even took turns sleeping on the floor next to her little box. So, after all this and a couple vitamin B shots.... TA DA!

We might actually have to name her Wonder Woman!

Serenity

“Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm”

Our new Border Leicester ewe, Serenity, resting with her momma, Hope.

The Mod Squad

 

Remember this popular crime fighting show from the 60’s?

The grooviest gang of fuzz that ever wore a badge?

 

 

We have our own trio very much like the Mod Squad:

So we would like to re-introduce you to our coopworth cross triplets: (left to right) Julie, Linc, and Pete. (Obviously very tired from all the recent excitement)

photo courtesy of www.chezgrae.com

Solid.

 

Introducing More Lambs

 

We have two more sets of colored twins. These are both fathered by Poseidon.

The mom’s are Fiona and her niece Nuala two more of our Coopworth X Blue-faced Leicester ewes from Deer Run Sheep Farm.

 

We are really excited that they each had 1 ram and 1 ewe. Two more possible stud rams for a special spinner’s flock, and 2 ewes for us to keep.

It is  going to be fun to watch what develops from the Wensleydale influence on the BFL. Should be some more very uniquely pretty and soft colored fleeces.

Movin’ On Up – Triplet Update

The triplets ‘moved on up’ to their  ‘delux  apartment’ and graduated from their warm coats. They now have about 3 times the space and better access to hay and sunshine but are still in the barn where we can make sure they and their momma are getting enough to eat.

All three are thriving.

The little ewe

The black ram

And the white ram

It sure is fun to watch them enjoying their new space.

 

In other news . . .

Five new lambs so far today!

Busy Day

 

It was a very eventful day here at Sheeps and Peeps. In fact it was so busy that we didn’t get a chance to take many pictures.

One ewe delivered last evening and four today adding six more lambs to the flock – 3 ewes, 3 rams.

One of the very few pics that was taken  is shown above: Blackberry, our Cotswald X Border Leicester ewe with her twins. We always eagerly await for her lambs and are never disappointed. She has given us lambs with beautiful wool when bred with Hercules, our Wensleydale  X Coopworth ram. 

 

In fact, we still have her first ram lamb and we use him to produce more lambs with beautiful fleeces:

Poseidon

Poseidon’s fleece

 

Poseidon and Blackberry have given us two ewe lambs:

Cassidy

 

And Siar

So of course we were very excited when she had two more black lambs this year that we will be watching closely as they grow. One is a ram who should be an excellent stud for someone’s spinner flock, the other a ewe that we will undoubtedly keep in our flock for her fleece and future lambs.

More pictures to follow of the rest of the lambs born today and of the triplets who graduated into a bigger pen.

NEW LAMBS

 

  We have been patiently waiting for Hera to deliver.  She has looked miserable for weeks. There had been speculations that maybe there would be triplets on the way. She is a triplet herself that we purchased as a yearling, along with her sister Athena, from Joe and Betsy at Quaking Maples Farm . Actually she has looked huge each year and triplets had been quietly whispered in closed circles in previous years.

Finally this evening it was time:

Three beautiful healthy lambs.  And what a wonderful variety: one white ram, one black ram, and one white ewe.

"Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Signs of Spring Number Two

We are ignoring the snowfall today (unless it brings Hera's long awaited lambs) and bringing you a much more pleasant sight.

Here is our granddaughter/great-niece visiting the barn on a warmer, sunnier and all around more spring-like day.

A Long Explore

A beautiful, very early Sunday morning... let's join Raven on a long explore.

This little spring-fed brook is one of our favorite secret places.



It is particularly lovely in the early morning sunlight.



Our little, shallow spring-fed brook is lined with moss covered stones.

Ok, this is our real destination, we were really coming to check on the Ramp (Allium tricoccum Aiton) patch! Here in the West Virginia hills, spring is Ramp season. Since they are one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, they are traditionally eaten as the first greens of the season. It is believed that Native Americans taught settlers to eat this wild leek as a spring tonic. Ramps are high in vitamins C and A, helpful minerals and reduce cholestrol, so the folk medicine reputation is well deserved. They are very strong and spicy so they also do a good job of keeping the 'Non-Ramp Eaters' at a distance.

Even our distinguished United States Senator, the honorable Robert C. Byrd, sings the

praises of the Mighty Ramp

In West Virginia, the emergence of the Ramp, after our long winters, is certainly a cause for celebration. You can visit a Ramp Farm, and you can even buy Ramp Wine. We hold numerous Ramp Festivals and in every hill and holler you will find churches and volunteer fire departments holding Ramp Feeds. As a matter of fact, come join us at the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department's Annual Ramp Dinner on Sunday, April 26th, and celebrate spring in the West Virginia mountains!

Edited to add:
Ramp dinner noon-4 p.m. April 26th at the Aurora Fire Dept. Includes ham, fried potatoes, (with or without ramps), soup beans, cooked ramps, raw ramps, ramp salad, corn muffins (with or without ramps, desserts and drinks. Cost $8 per person.

Signs of Spring

We anxiously wait each year for this - coltsfoot blooming by the roadside. This is the first wildflower that appears in our neck of the woods. It is a very welcome sight at the end of what is almost always a long winter.


Another sure fire sign of spring is that our stylish barn footwear has gone from this

to this!

Nothing brightens the day quite like a pair of yellow ladybug boots!

Dipping Birds

The guineas have been entertaining us the past few days with their 'dipping bird' antics. You all remember those, right?

While trying to find a vintage dipping or happy bird video, I stumbled upon these that just cannot be passed up. I give you the "Dipping Duck Orchestra" and not to be outdone - "The World's Largest Working Drinking Birds"