Pregnant Pause...

...still  waiting.  I will keep you posted.

Right on Schedule...Lambing begins at Mapleton Farm

The first day for lambs, according to my lambing chart since breeding groups were put together October 30th, was yesterday, March 25th.  One cue, Mapleton Hope had beautiful twin EWE lambs!  F2 Heights Orion girls, as all this year's lambs will be.  One moorit (maybe dark brown) and the other black.  Here are their first photos:

 Hope is a really good mama.  She was not one I thought would lamb first.  I had turned the ewes out for a while and about an hour later I looked out in their direction and saw that little krunet in the grass.  It was cool so I was afraid they would be chilled so I scooped them up and Hope followed us into the barn where I juged the new family while she finished cleaning them up.  She got them up and nursing so I left them to get the other ewes in the barn.  While there are many others that looked more ready to go and WAY bigger, no one else has lambed yet.  I will keep you posted... 

I had wanted to show a post shearing picture of a few of the boys:

One Week Till Lambing

The ewes are looking and acting ready...

 Olympia and Sky

 Marshmello

 Dessie

 Cupcake

 Quechee

 Hester front and center

All bred to Swiftriver Neville.  Lambing should start next weekend.  I expect somewhere between 13 to 26 lambs.  I am guessing about 20.  Stay tuned...

A few things done...

Sheep shearing was this Sunday.  I took pictures of the rams and just a few after pictures of the ewes.  I will get more after pictures of both today.  For now, here are the rams (all for sale btw):

 Doing two at a time, we were done in 2 1/2 hours with shearing, hoof trimming, CDT, and worming.

 I have many beautiful fleeces.  I would like to keep just a few but all others for sale.  Selling fleeces is not something I have really done but I have enough in my own stash to let this year's clip go.  Let me know if you are interested.

 A few of the ewes after shearing...

 Cupcake and Opal

 Other signs of spring:

 Maple sugaring:

 Finn almost a year old!

 Rosie thought the sheep were sheared just for her:

To Do...

Shearing
lambing supply order
paper work
seed ordering
lambing prep
fence repair
Maple sugaring (if conditions permit, maybe not happening this year)
begin to come up with my sales list...

 I plan to sell 8 adult or yearling ewes, and all yearling rams.  I am trying to keep a balance of colors and patterns.  I am attached to them all at this point so I have to try to keep emotions out of it.  Plain and simple, I need less sheep and I decided that this the last year for a full lambing for a while.  Maybe only a few bred this fall.  Then we will take a break but I want to keep a nice foundation flock for when I am ready to pick up where we left off. 

Pending the black and white lambs I will get from Neville, I would like to keep a total of two black and white ewes, including to be born lambs.  Some of these fine black and white ewes pictured below may be available.  There is interest in Dessie already as well as her yearling ram.

 Can Too Sky and Mapleton Peep will be available after weaning.  I plan on keeping Sky's lamb and maybe one from Peep.

 Peep's yearling rams are for sale, available anytime.

I also am getting pattern heavy so even though I LOVE all the gully's.  I am willing to part with a few of the yearling ewes and ram.  I will keep one, most likely Quechee's.  I know I really do love my pretty Pearl but if she gives me a ewe lamb again, I will keep the lamb and let her go this year.  Peanut gave me an outstanding moorit F2 ewe last year so I would also be willing keep her and part with Peanut.

This is so hard because I have some really lovely sweet sheep in this group, but here are my thoughts prelambing, subject to change after lambs arrive.
FOR SALE:
All 2012 lambs (except 3 I really am going to stick to that this year)
All yearling rams
Peanut
Pearl
Peep
Sky
Dessie or Hope or the yearling black and white (likely 2 of the 3, possibly all 3),
Olympia's yearling ewe lamb
Maybe Quechee's gul/kat...she is very tiny but so was Quechee at her age.  Some lines really need that second summer to mature, so I will wait on my final decision on her.  Unless a pet or fiber home is interested in her sooner.