Put your visitors to work!!!!

I think I've finally gotten to the point where I am not too proud to put visitors to work while they are at the farm to see sheep and lambs.  Suffice it to say that I will take an extra pair of hands just about any time the opportunity arises this past year.  Clayton is the young man that takes a couple of my sheep as a 4-H project every year and he and his mother (sometimes his brother Cole) will come out to help vaccinate, shear, trim hooves or whatever needs attention.  Clayton learns quickly and has a great eye for a quality sheep and good wool. 
He has taken the same sheep, Alabama, to the County Fair every year since she was a lamb and this year Alabama had a ewe lamb, so she will go to the fair with her mom.

Clayton's mom, Terri helps me a lot, and is a good friend that is always willing to help me out.  This last year, she has vaccinated, wormed, helped with shearing, scrapped fat off pelts and last night she helped Clayton and I roo sheep.  Had to get that new sheep stand rolling and since the weather seemed to be cooperating for once, we did one yearling ewe that needed to be rooed badly and 2 rams.  Probably did 1 sheep too many last night, but that's a classic Kelly move to not quit while I still can drag myself to the house.  (grin)  I'm a slow learner.....

Just getting started.........

It's coming off easily......new growth is about 1/2" long under the old growth already

Finishing up odd pieces (she had already lost ALL her neck wool.  

I was going to wait to take Rhianna to Shepherd's Harvest for the rooing demos in a couple weeks, but she wouldn't have had any fleece left to roo by that time, so she got plucked and is much nicer looking now.  Took us about 20 minutes to roo her.

Ringo rooed easily on his back, sides and britch, but I had to hand shear some of his shoulders on the side and the front of his neck on the lower portion.  His new growth was much longer than Rhianna's so that went slower and we got 4 times the fleece from him that we did from Rhianna.
Buddy only rooed down his back and britch, and he had significant new growth that really grabbed the old fiber, so I just hand sheared the rest of him.  That was enough for one night.....

Visitors

We had some little visitors last night.  My sister in law Rhonda brought out my niece, Anna and my nephew John to visit the new lambs.  Last Saturday my niece, Tiffany, my sister, Leslie and my great neices and nephews out for a visit too. 

More visitors tonight. 

2013 micron data

Micron data as follows:

Data Is: AFD/SD/CV/CEM/<15 p="">

8 yrs. old sheep

SP Catherine: 25.7/5.4/20.9/9.0/2.2/83.0/25.0

SF Challis: 28.8/6.1/21.2/10.9/1.0/63.2/28.1

SP Maura: 24.8/4.5/18.3/7.4/1.0/91.7/23.6

7 yrs. old

SP Salicional: 25.1/4.1/16.4/6.8/0.4/92.6/23.5

6 yrs. old

KW Dot: 27.0/5.6/20.6/10.6/0.8/74.6/26.2

LC Meadow: 26.2/5.0/19.0/8.1/1.0/82.1/25.1

5 yrs. old

SP Ceylon: 28.8/6.1/21.1/10.8/0.8/62.9/28.1

SP Bengal; 26.0/4.4/17.1/7.9/0.8/86.1/24.5

SF Farrah: 27.9/5.7/20.5/10.0/0.5/68.6/27.1

4 yrs. old

LC Velma: 28.0/5.5/19.6/9.6/0.7/69.2/27.0

3 yrs. old

SP Anais : 22.5/5.0/22.3/9.0/5.2/93.9/22.1

S'M Cotillion: 26.1/5.5/20.9/9.7/0.8/80.9/25.4

WT Garnet: 24.8/5.2/21.0/9.0/2.7/86.9/24.2

SP Temperance: 25.7/5.4/20.9/9.7/1.3/81.4/25.0

2 yrs. old

OK Alabama: 25.6/5.9/23.1/10.3/1.4/77.9/25.4

LC Bee Sting: 25.3/4.5/17.9/8.0/0.8/88.8/24.0

LC Disco: 29.5/7.4/25.2/15.8/0.3/62.0/29.8

WP Killian: 27.9/5.4/19.4/9.2/0.5/69.4/26.7

OK Salina: 24.9/5.6/22.5/10.6/1.8/84.4/24.6

OK Seneca: 23.4/5.4/22.9/9.8/3.6/89.6/23.2

OK Sierra: 26.1/4.8/18.4/8.0/0.9/82.9/24.9

OK Vienna: 24.5/5.0/20.4/8.7/2.5/89.4.23.8

Yearling ewes

RO Rihanna: 23.0/5.1/22.2/9.3/2.8/92.1/22.6

OK Shania: 21.3/3.9/18.0/6.7/3.6/98.6/20.3

OK Whitney: 21.8/5.1/23.3/9.9/6.8/93.9/21.7

OK Celine: 21.5/5.1/23.7/9.4/7.5/95.1/21.5

Yearling Rams

OK Bing: 19.6/3.8/19.6/6.6/10.2/99.6/18.9

OK Elvis: 22.3/4.3/19.1/7.4/4.1/97.6/21.4

OK Garth: 21.8/5.2/23.9/9.4/7.7/94.7/21.8

OK Ringo: 224.7/5.9/24.0/10.3/2.8/82.2/24.7

Legand for flock prefix

SP=Sheltering Pines

KW=Kimberwood

SF=Sommarang Farm

LC=Little Country Acres

RO=River Oaks

WP=White Pine

WT=Wintertime

OK=OK Acres

S'M=S'more. 

This, of coarse, is only one factor to be considered when evaluating the whole sheep, but it helps me to put scientific data to what my hands are feeling.  When deciding who is to move on to another flock, I start by determining who displays good structure, then I consider the fleece quality.  I have a lot of decisions to make this year if I am to get down to the 15-20 breeding ewes that I want to maintain here.  I am not looking forward to making some of these hard decisions, but culling heavily is the only way to continue improving on what I have bred or purchased in the past.  (big sigh)  

I am going to be selling approximately 30+ sheep this year.....another big sigh escapes.

I'm sitting here waiting for the sun to make it's way from behind the clouds.........looks like I may be waiting a bit, but at least it isn't snowing.  

Toodles.

Lamb post #11

We woke up to find another new mom and her ewe lamb this morning.  Vienna had a lovely fawn kat (spotted) single ewe lamb that was dried off, fed and happy. 

OK Acres Vienna x OK Acres Bing

One more ewe to lamb and I'm done for 2013


What would you call the marking on this gal?  I know she's fawn katmoget, but is she blettet, flecket or is the white on her face enough for smirslet flecket.   

Lamb Post #10-----Winding down

Tuesday we were greeted by 2 lovely moorit ewe lambs when we got home from work from Challis.  Challis is 9 yrs old and a great example of everything a Shetland ewe should be.  She's a stellar mother, very milky and raises robust lambs, zero lambing problems, she's typey, has great confirmation, good fleece, gives me lambs that are a notch above herself and is virtually hands off in regards to care.  Challis is on lease from Lori at Sommarang Farm while she is on her missionary trip in Spain, so this will be the last lambs I get from her before she goes home to Lori in January.  Challis has become one of my favorite ewes  here since she's been with me and I will miss her quiet ways and sweet personality. 

Sommarang Challis x OK Acres Elvis

Merida on the left and Lilo on the right

Lamb post #9

Monday morning lambs are..........2 white ewe lambs. 

S'More Cotillion x OK Acres Elvis

Cotillion's first lambs and she's a wonderful mother.  

Here is a better shot of one of Meadow's gray kat lambs from Sunday.  I really like these lambs, but then again, I always like Meadow's lambs, she's given me some stunning lambs since she's been here.  

Love the grey ones.......

Here is a photo of one of my ewes, Dot, with a pile of lambs using her for a spring board

The only lambs that are hers are the spotted grey kats.  She is so sweet. 

  

Lambing post #8----I can see the finish line

Friday afternoon Salicional had a moorit ram and a black ewe

Sheltering Pines Salcional x Crosswinds Thor

I don't have a good shot of the black ewe lamb, but you can see her behind her brother. 

Then Bee had a pair of fawn ram lambs on Friday night about 8:30 pm

Lil Country Bee Sting x OK Acres Bing

The fleece on these boys is really something to watch-Fawn kat smirslet sokket

Then Alabama had a lovely ewe lamb about 6:30 am on Saturday

OK Acres Alabama x OK Acres Bing

Angel is still wet in this photo  (fawn kat yuglet flecket)

Sunday was our busiest day with my 2 crossbred ewes Janet and Fergie each having single ewes.

Janet x Crosswinds Thor
This is the tiniest lamb that I've ever seen, she can't weigh 2 lbs. and she's healthy and eating, go figure. 

Add caption

Fergie x Crosswinds Thor

 

2013 Lamb post---#7

Newest arrivals.......First time mom Sierra had a lovely black ram lamb late morning on Thursday.

OK Acres Sierra x OK Acres Ringo

As you can see, this little guy decided to hang out under mom while she shook alfalfa all over him, but he's a very nice little black krunet ram, that is rather big. 

Temperance had a black krunet ewe about 3:30 pm on Thursday

Sheltering Pines Temperance x OK Acres Crosswinds Thor

Attina

 

Seneca, another 1st time mom had a stunning set of spotted ram lambs about 9:30 pm on Thursday

OK Acres Seneca x Crosswinds Thor

Then Salicional had a set of twins sometime between 2:30 am and 6:30 am today.  One ram and one ewe. 

Sheltering Pines Salicional x Crosswinds Thor

I am now officially down to 10 ewes left to lamb.  Lamb count is at 29!!!  What the heck is wrong with me?  Big sheep sale going on this summer.........

2013 Lambs----Post #6

Dot gave me a ewe and a ram on Wednesday morning about 1:30 am and when we got home from work Velma had a pair of ewe lambs all dried off and waiting for us.

Lil Country Velma x Crosswinds Thor

I've named this one Vixey

This little girl is Zira

Kimberwood Dot x OK Acres Bing

Ram lamb

Ewe lamb

Ewe on the right, ram on the left.....I love the head spotting on these two.

2013 Lamb post #5

Got home from work last night and found Ceylon with a nice set of twins in the shed.  Ceylon throws spots, so I knew I'd find some nice ones from her being bred to Bing.

Sheltering Pines Ceylon x OK Acres Bing

Ewe on the left-ram on the right-about 2 hrs old here.

Newborn moorit ewe from Ceylon

 Saturday night--Fiona had a set of triplets, her usual 2 rams and 1 ewe.  Fiona is a Charollais/Texel cross and she was bred to Thor-a purebred Shetland ram.  Approximate lamb weights for the triplets was 7-8 lbs each at birth.  Fiona has one half of her udder that is no longer good, so I have a nipple bucket that supplements this trio.  I didn't catch one of the ram lambs in my shot, you can see one ram and the little white ewe below.

Fiona's ewe

 Sheltering Pines Catherine had a set of twins on Saturday afternoon, but the ram lamb was stillborn for some reason, but we did get this super cute little ewe lamb that I've named Mirage.  She has some baby fuzz, but her fleece style is identical to her mother's.

Sheltering Pines Catherine x OK Acres Ringo

Mirage

Working with stone (s)

I have a friend that does painting, specifically....she paints rocks or stones.  Pat is an animal lover and a breeder of dogs.  She painted Bianca as a puppy on a rock and gave it to me last year and I love it.  Here are a few more of her creations. 

2013 Lambs-----Post #4

Short story today.........got home from work and one of my first time ewes had a set of twins.  Killian had a lovely gray kat ewe and ram lamb, both were dry, clean and had their tummy full...The End

White Pine Killian x OK Acres Bing

Ram:  Gaston

Ewe:  Kiara

2013 lambs----post #3

The fog has cleared a bit for me today since my husband took the 2 am feeding for Jasmine and did the barn check at the same time.  I was so exhausted, I didn't even hear him, which is almost unheard of with me. 

We came home from work to a pair of ram lambs out of one of my Shetland X-bred ewes.

Faith x Crosswinds Thor rams

Then just after supper, I did a barn check and found a ewe and a ram.

Sheltering Pines Anais Anais x Crosswinds Thor

Black yuglet/flecket-Perdy

Fawn kat ram-Pluto

And another shot of my little Jasmine checking out the house last night after her bottle.

Jasmine-sorry, I couldn't help myself........she's so darned cute

April Fools Day lambs 2013

This is the 2nd year in a row that Garnet has "stuck it to me".  Let me explain.......Garnet loves to steal lambs from other ewes while she's pregnant and doesn't have lambs of her own yet.  So when Salina had her twins in the common area of the shed last night, Garnet helped herself to the little ewe lamb while mom was busy with the ram lamb.  As I'm trying to get Salina into a jug and accept her second lamb, Garnet slaps me in the leg with her water sack........so I wrestler her into a jug too.  Garnet promptly lays down and pushes out a good sized moorit flecket smirslet ram, she cleans it up and barely gets that complete and another nice sized moorit ram plops out onto the straw.  Long story short, the attempts to get Salina to take her lamb back failed after 2 hours of trying and now Garnet wants nothing to do with her either and I have a bottle lamb.  Good grief, it's like 2012 all over again!!!  Next year Garnet will be given a pen all her own, if she wasn't such an awesome ewe she'd be hitting my sale list, but her lambs are always very nice.  (lucky for her)

So here's our 4 newest additions.........

OK Acres Salina x OK Acres Bing

Ram in the foreground and ewe in the background

Laying down: Ram is OK Acres Figaro & standing up: Ewe is OK Acres Jasmine (bottle baby)

Wintertime Garnet x OK Acres Elvis

Both Rams-OK Acres Dodger (moorit smirslet flecket) on the left and OK Acres Darby (moorit)

You can see the accused lamb thief in the background......don't let that sweet mommy face fool you, she's sneaky.