Lambs, lambs, lambs....

They have arrived, all but one ewe to lamb.  There are spots, solids, kats, and a gulmoget in Shetland.  A lot of rams it seems.  There are also 9 Cheviot/Shetland crossbreds (all the solid whites).  The cross rams are freezer lambs, but the ewes are available for sale if anyone is interested.  I am not sure which Shetlands will be for sale, lambs or adults yet.  Might be interested in a ram lamb swap if someone has something unrelated for me that would complement my flock.  All Shetlands are by a F2 Drum Jings, some are also out of F2 Heights Orion ewes.  More info and pictures in the near future.  A got a comment from "Buddha" that I didn't post it because it seemed like spam.  Buddha if you really are looking for Shetlands, please leave me your real name and contact information and I will get back to you.

Lamb pictures of Bronze

Fall AND Winter Update

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!

Thanks Michelle for letting me know you still read even though I am posting so infrequently these days.   I used two rams this fall.  One Shetland F2 Drum Jings.  I haven't registered him yet because not sure what I should call his markings.  Does that little patch of white on his body shown in the picture below make him flecket?  Or do I go with the standard yuglet sokket?  Are those patches small enough to be yuglet or do I go with something else?  Any input is welcome.  When I do, his name will be Bronze.  He is a Mapleton Opal and ABA Lava son.  He got about half of the ewes, basically everyone not too closely related to him:  Marshmello (Ag grey white spot), Missy (gul-kat), Cappy (kat), Kismet (B), Hester's black yearling that we call Baba but need to find a more dignified registered name for (B), Olympia (gul), and Pumpkin (b).  I think that is everyone. Oh wait, Marshmello's daughter we call Freckles spent a few weeks with this ram and before she got loose.  I never did put her back in because she had figured out she could squeeze under the welded wire fence.  Time will tell if she was in that group long enough.

 I also used a Cheviot ram lamb, for some meat cross lambs.  He got the other half of the ewes.  Basically some of these ewes ended up with him by default.   I was trying to get the other ram's sisters, aunt, and mother into the Cheviot's group, and there were a few buddy pairs I could not separate without much difficulty, so I just went with it. I think I will use the Shetland ram as clean up ram in case those unrelated ewes didn't take.  Generally I don't love Cheviots, but I really like this ram lamb.  He was a bottle baby from my shearer.   So less skiddish than most Cheviots, but still a Cheviot, so not friendly.  He has always been respectful.  He is built nicely and is growing well on pasture/hay.  Those ewes boss him around a little, but that is better than the other way around.  He is very non-confrontational with the Shetland ram so they coexist when together very well.  The ewes in his group:  Opal, Topaz, Peanut, Diamond, Baby (also needs a more dignified name for registration), Hester, Silvermist, Quechee.

So my numbers are currently: 16 ewes all exposed to a ram for April/May lambs, and two rams.  As for the rest of the farm numbers, we are holding steady with 2 goats, 3 dogs, a cat, 2 horses, 3 ponies on  the pet side of things.  In terms of the sustainable side, we put 46 meat chickens in the freezer, my husband got one deer off the property during hunting season, and we are currently raising 3 feeder pigs.  We also have 15 laying hens.  

Last note on sustainable farm goals, I joined a CSA for a fall share this year.  In part because my garden was done, and I was not ready to not have farm fresh veggies at my disposal.  More importantly to learn: what I could do to improve my own garden for a better fall harvest, what grows well in my climate, and what of those things do we really like to cook and eat.  I have come up with a hot and not list as I begin to look at my new Fedco catalogue.  Can't believe it will be time to order soon.

     HOT:

mustard greens

kale

arugula

spinach

beets

carrots (might be worth trying again, never had much luck growing them)

    NOT:

Collard greens

Kohlrabi

Celery root

Bok Choy

tomatillos 

hot peppers

IN MODERATION:

turnips

radishes

What did very well in my own garden this past year:

salad greens

potatoes

tomatoes

sweet bell peppers

swiss chard (until the goats got out and ate ALL of it)

carnival squash

zucchini

patty pan squash

egg plant

basil

parsley

onions

pumpkins

cutting flowers (sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos)

What I need to do a little better job with next year (timing, amount, weeding, and harvesting):

pie pumpkins

corn

beans

melons

butternut squash

snap peas

broccoli

brussel sprouts

Improvement already:

WE GOT OUR GARLIC IN THIS YEAR!

How does your garden grow?  Any suggestions on something I should consider growing that I have missed?  I would love to hear your thoughts. 

  

Summer Update

In my blogging absence, I am not sure there are many readers left out there, but thought I would post a long over due update.  I took the spring off from lambing.  Which while I missed the lamb races, it was a much need break.  I got my flock down to 16 ewes and 2 rams, and I do plan to have two small breeding groups this fall.  I would be interested in trading a Shetland ram late fall if anyone is interested.  I only have one Shetland ram left and a number of my ewes are too closely related to him.  Some of those will be bred to the Cheviot ram lamb my shearer brought me.  However, I am not sure a cross is wise for the yearlings that have not lambed yet, and their brother is my only Shetland ram.  Ewes not too closely related will be bred to the Shetland.  Meet the rams:

The morrit ram above is a F2 Drum Jings, son of ABA Lava now at Painted Knoll and my Mapleton Opal (High Bid Kermit X Minwawe Pearl).  He is really handsome, his fuzz on his side is left over from me rooing him, but supper fine and crimpy underneath.  I am looking forward to his lambs, he will get a small select group.  A few others will be bred to my Cheviot ram lamb for meat crosses.  Less paper work, less time emailing, and selling sheep sight unseen and stressing if people like them, and most importantly the sheep doing their part in our sustainable farming goals.  Meat lambs will be added to the meat chickens, feeder pigs, laying hens, dairy goats, maple sugaring, and large garden to help us eat off the farm as much as possible.  My husband usually puts one deer in the freezer each hunting season.  Where we fall short, we try to eat local products or buy from small farms with similar attention given to providing good wholesome food, raised without antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, and treated with great care and compassion.

I am really trying to have the farm provide us what we need without it being so overwhelming that I don't have the time to enjoy the hobby side that brought us to the country to begin with.  I really am trying to make more and more time for the horses.  The cortisone shot I just got in my knee will hopefully make riding without pain possible again soon.

Since there are so few "boys" in the pasture.  Here a few photos of the rest of the ones on the farm.
 My geldings:

 Oh and that rooster was supposed to be a HEN!  He has 18 hens in his (our) flock.

 Then FINN of course, not just in the pasture, but  since many of my visitors these days are GSP folks thought I would add a photo of him.  His favorite place is on the couch after all this running around the farm...only dog of the three who gets away with that.  He is very persistent and very cute.  Everyone around here wants to do another litter of puppies, but I think one was enough for my sweet Rosie, and me for that matter.  So I am trying to hold my ground.  Finn was worth the trouble though, he is a great dog.

So if you are reading this, I would love you to leave a comment.  Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Winter Update

Hi all,

I did not breed my ewes this year, yet, and don't think I will.  I do have some lovely sheep and last year lambs for sale.  I have kept my winter numbers stable over the past few years but really want to scale back even further.  My asthma has been really awful lately, so really need health wise to figure out what can give.  Unfortunately, it is the sheep.  Currently, I have three white ewe lambs, and two white ram lambs, all F2 Drum Jings for sale.  I would be willing to entertain the idea of letting a few adult ewes go as well but only as a package deal, pair, or with one of white lambs.  I want to keep a spinner/pet flock so it is about numbers, as well as variety, and somewhat about the favorites.  I could for example offer Hester (B) , Peanut (b), and Marshmello (Ag), with an unrelated (Awt) ram lamb.  That would give someone three really beautiful experienced moms that should continue to be moms, a variety of colors, and some really beautiful fleece.  A good home a must, they are not culls!  They are actually some of the favorites, but I just feel they should be part of a breeding flock.  I think I may take a few years off, and I have all of their daughters to take their place when and if I am ready to gear back up.  I also have two other ewes that would make nice pets.  One is a black yearling ewe, great temperament and conformation, fleece not the best.  The other is a moorit and white ewe lamb that is still smaller than her peers.  I think I need to separate her from the flock and start graining her, as she is not assertive when I feed the flock.  Low in the hierarchy and has grown as such.  If I did that, that would leave me with a dozen ewes and a ram, and maybe I would keep one wether as a companion for the ram.  That would be about right for me at this time.  Please inquire.  Prices negotiable to the right homes.  Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season!

Couniting my Sheep...

One, two, rams pictured plus one more white ram makes three ram lambs.  The white rams are for sale.

 Four

 Five

 Six...all three of these white ewe lambs are for sale...seven.

 Eight, Nine

 Ten, Eleven

 Twelve

 Thirteen

 Fourteen (wether)

 Fifteen

 Sixteen

 Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen (not pictured)

 Twenty...corbon copy mom not pictured...Twenty-one

 Twenty-two

 Twenty-three

 Twenty-four

Twenty five (my other moorit adult ewe, Peanut, was missed in the photo session)

 

Okay I already counted these two but I just liked the picture.

Twenty five is still more that I would like to have in my flock at this point.  I was able to hold my flock size steady but not reduce it.  No one has been bred YET but I could offer a few select bred adult ewes if anyone was interested, I would be willing to put a few ewes in with a ram lamb of your choice for a few weeks. I am debating on if I want to put a few in a breeding group for myself, for May or June lambs.  Prices are very negotiable at this point of the year, consider it my winter sale or holiday special.  I could put together a starter flock that would be a great Christmas present!  Serious inquires only.  You may email me at karamapstoneATgmailDOTcom

The difference a year makes...

Scooby right after we brought him home last October:

 Scooby now:

 I like my ponies round! Now if I could keep them out of the burrocks!

Other farm photos from today:

 I wish Finn was a little rounder, but he is just so active he stays trim.   Isn't he cute all grown up.

 White Shetland Sheep still for sale!

 

More equine pics: