Good Fences

Temporary electric net fencing is a godsend for dividing the pasture into paddocks for rotational grazing.  Here we've set up a temporary paddock outside the perimeter fencing so that the bio-mowers - the wethers and some of the yearlings - can help us maintain part of the barnyard.  After spending the day out in the barnyard, they are brought back into the barn at night.

Joining TexWisGirl at The Run*A*Round Ranch for a link-up at 'Good Fences'.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Another Moving Day

The goat tree looks a little lonely this week as the yearlings and breeding ewes have been moved into a temporary paddock in one of the hayfields.  They are settled in... enjoying the large wooded area in the permanent paddock adjoining the temporary fencing for much of the afternoon... and most definitely enjoying the green, green grass of the hayfield.

Saturday in the Pasture

A foggy, early morning greeting at the barn was followed by a most enthusiastic group of lambs coming into the barn for FAMACHA scoring.  We have been lucky that this year's lambs come right in, all the way into the barn without requiring one of the shepherdess/s becoming a border collie.

Once we finished the scoring, we thought we better separate the yearling ewes from Liam before they begin cycling, and we were surprised next spring by very early lambs. 

That went very smoothly, except for Larry and Moe who were left behind with Liam.  They spent much of the day walking the fence line; trying to figure out why they weren't allowed to join the others.  They finally gave up and settled under a shade tree.

The yearling ewes moved through the pasture in a huddled group for awhile, but in no time at all were grazing right along side the breeding ewes, happy in their new paddock.

Friday's Fences

Forgive us for continuing to share the same fence-line, but this view never gets old... it is forever-changing... with the farm schedule... with the seasons
Joining Life According to Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences

Yearling HiJinks

The yearling ewes are spending their time getting fat and sassy, awaiting their new roles as breeding ewes come fall.  For now, they are carefree and full of teenage fun.   They observe all the excitement going on in the adjoining pasture, and sometimes they just can't help but join in when the lambs start their running games. 

It's very entertaining to watch them running... bucking... kicking their heels... soaring through the air.  Then, almost as quickly as it begins... there they are again standing at the fence, once again observing life in the adjoining pasture, just as if nothing had happened.  This group of young ladies are growing out very well, and are really quite beautiful.  They are the future of the flock.

Friday's Fences

This has been a busy fence-line this week, as the yearlings and their new neighbors get to know each other.  We're joining Life According to Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences.

Finally

We finally got the yearling ewes and two of the wethers, Moe and Larry, moved out of the barn pasture and into their new paddock... again.  We gave up on Jack and he will stay with the bred ewes, probably through lambing.

It was a very exciting day.  They played follow-the-leader with Davita.  This very quickly evolved into a chase-the-cats-out-of-the-pasture game.  We are assuming that the yearling ewes won as Davita and Muffy ended up on fence posts.

They discovered the goat tree, just as any animal we put in this pasture seems to do.  Sheep, goat or dog they all seem to love this little crab apple tree.

The rams discovered that they now have neighbors, and had to show off a little for next season's ladies with a minor head-butting, neck-wrestling tussle.  Not to be outdone, the yearlings had to do a little showing off of their own.

What was a very exciting day for the yearlings, finally ended with some peaceful grazing... yes... finally.

Mayhem

Mayhem ~ a collective noun, at least around here.  It seems to be a name given to the yearlings each spring.  Here you see them - calm, relaxed, enjoying the post-shearing sunshine.  But this is not the paddock they are supposed to be in.  This picture is post-mayhem. 

In the hours preceding this, the yearlings, their watering trough, and mineral feeders have been moved, Moe, Larry and Jack (the three very large wethers) have been re-caught and moved, fences have torn down and re-built - twice.  This at the end of a long shearing day... we gave up.  They are in the barn paddock with the expectant mamas, and there they will stay until we get our plan in place to out-smart them.  The worst of it is -- they brought the wethers back with them... sigh.

Right here, that girl looking us right in the eye is Grace... the ring-leader.  Just look at that innocent face.

The Big Weekend

As many weekends are... this was a very busy weekend on the farm.  We moved the yearlings and the older ewes back to the granddaddy green by the barn.  It is so great to have them back at the barn, if only for a little while.  In a couple weeks we will move them to a paddock where they will have access to one of the hayfields during the day.  We also moved the rams to a new paddock... inching slowly towards breeding season.

Took Raven into the woods after doing a little work with the goat boys, and flushed that blasted fox.  It took off up over the hill through the graveyard field.

Celebrated Mom's birthday... Happy Birthday, once again, Mom!  Great-granddaughter Harley is ready to help blow out the twenty candles she counted to put on the cake.

And we sold a dozen of our ewes - yearlings and proven two-year-olds.  Many, many thanks to the McComb family for making the trip from Marlinton to buy some of our girls.  We are so excited that they are going to a handspinner's flock.  We hope they will love the fleeces the girls produce and enjoy spinning them as much as we do!

Catching Up

Last weekend we moved the rams into the barn for an evening then set about shearing them the following morning. Such nosey boys... Liam and Aragorn are right there watching as Poseidon gets his haircut. After the 24-hour ram cram we moved the boys into the goat pen as the goats are still in their winter paddock. This has worked out great as the grass was pretty high, so on top of having a great deal to eat, the tall grass has seemed to cut down on their ram hi-jinks following the shearing. So far, no bloody heads and not much neck wrestling.

We also moved the yearling group from paddock three of the barnyard into the paddock vacated by the rams.  We must remember this moving schedule for next spring (hence recording it here) because this was the easiest (on the shepherdess/s) succession of paddocks we have ever done.  The sun has been so hot, everyone has been enjoying the shade.

Yearlings, Hera and Triplets

There is a seemingly endless cycle of putting fence up... taking fence down... putting fence up... taking fence down... going on at the farm.  The happy sheep produced by this paddock merry-go-around sure makes it all worthwhile.  The yearlings were moved into the third and final section of the barnyard last weekend, and will be moved once again this weekend.

They have been joined by Ceres (in the foreground below) who is doing so much better!  Although she is losing some of her wool from the stress and looks a little rough, she is eating well and really enjoys being out of the barn.

Hera and the triplets have also moved out of the barn and are enjoying their own little paddock.  We began supplementing the little ewe with a bottle.  She is less agressive and doesn't seem to be getting her fair share of milk.  Hopefully she will begin to catch up with her brothers.

Maebh's Lamb

This morning when going to feed, I was greeted in the barn by Maebh and her brand new baby ram: a sturdy, robust 11 lb. 13 oz.-er. Things must have gone smoothly, he was almost dry and was eating away. They are settled snugly in their jug for the next few days

And so it begins....

Hope this is a harbinger of how lambing season will progress this year....

Guess we will discover that when the real fun begins in a couple of weeks....

Pondering the Who

The yearling ewes, as if to make up for being such troublemakers all winter, have now decided that they like nothing better than to have their heads scratched.  They especially love to be scratched behind the ears and will nudge you quite forcefully if you stop before they think you should.  And, honestly, who can resist a face like that?

In other news, it seems likely that the young Maebh (yearling ewe 1002) is in a family way.  Despite having grown up on the farm, and our prior shepherdess experience, our first reaction was "How did that happen?"  Well, having given it a second thought, we obviously know the how, the puzzle is the when.  We do not intentionally breed our ewes until they are two.  So either we did not get the ram lambs separated in time or we have another Houdini on our hands.  Hmmm, something to ponder as we go about the daily chores... the when... and then... the who.

Unseasonably warm

We have all been enjoying a few days of unseasonably warm weather. It sure has been nice to get around on the bare ground rather than struggle through the snow and on the ice.


Queen Elizabeth napping in the foreground.



The twins, Moe and Larry



Snostorm and the yearlings enjoy the sun.