Jamie Has Triplets Again!

Jamie never fails to produce the perfect set of triplets. Always 2 ewes and 1 ram. Sired by my Mossvale ram, these lambs are bigger than usual but Jamie had no need for help. When I visited her at 11:30 last night she was standing and grinding her teeth. Babies were on the way for sure. I moved the monitor near her and told Jamie to call me when ready. At 5:30 Jamie called but when I got out there she had three babies all full of milk and walking around. She was calling for breakfast as Jamie does every day. But she has a reason to be really hungry now!

Mom She's Not Sharing

After lambs are born, I put the new family in a pen, dip navels, give mom alfalfa and water, check to make sure she has milk and leave for coffee. Usually when I return in a few hours the lambs are nursing, full and content. Not today! When I returned the ram lamb was crying and empty. Poking his nose every place but near the teat, you could see what the problem was. The sister was sucking away. I could just imagine her saying,"THIS is how you do it" with a smug voice. It was time for intervention. After getting his mouth on the teat a few times he finally got the idea. But everytime I left him alone his sister pushed him off and took over. Finally, keeping the greedy little sister at bay, he reattached while stretched out flat and exhausted on his stomach. Milk finally. Soo good. "

2013 Lambs At Last

When my Bluefaced Leicester flock moved in October I couldn't part with all of them. Going cold turkey on BFL lambs wasn't a happy though so I kept Kathleen and Icy. Older ewes but good producers here Also staying was Jamie a Shetland/BFL mule and Greta, a high percentage BFL with a wee bit of Shetland in her.. They were bred by the rams that went to Colorado, Masterton (Mossvale) and Nathaniel (Heddon Valley).On Saturday Greta had twins sired Nathaniel. A black ram and a white ewe. Big, lively and beautiful.

This morning Icy had twins by Masterton. A big black ewe lamb and a bigger ram.

Bellies Butts and Bags

Another DUH moment. In all my years with Shetlands, I never thought of having them sheared in December until 2012. The fleeces were vegetation free and beautiful being taken off before bouncing lambs climb on mom's coat. Normally we shear the flock after lambs are on the ground in February or March. Another benefit of early shearing is I can see growing bellies and milkbags. I think we will have babies early this year thanks to BFL ram Wyatt and his penchant with the "wee ewes".

Picures From Farm Show

In the morning the junior teams competed in a fleece to shawl competition. The Bountiful Bobbins from Adams County won the Champion Award for their shawl. So beautiful and soft it draped just like you want a shawl to sit on your shoulders. Congratulations girls. Well done. The Sheep to Shawl Competition in the afternoon And it wouldn't be Farm Show without the yearly butter sculpture. 1000 pounds of Pa Dairy produced butter sculpted into the products of PA.

Potosi Molina Goes To PA Farm Show

When the flock was sheared in December,to her dismay Molina was excluded. She had no idea that bigger things were in her future. Not that she enjoyed those bigger things but duty called and the Butler County Peddlers needed her charcoal fleece for their shawl. On Sunday she was picked of vegetation and ready for competition. That made her mad so when I grabbed her yesterday she rolled in the hay and undid all my picking. After a ride in a dog crate to Harrisburg,she sulked in her pen until she realized she could steal hay from the pen of the ram next to her. Sitting nicely for Don while the team looked on, Molina was unsure of this shearing thing. At first she cooperated but as her fleece pealed off she got feisty and began wiggling and fighting. All that wool came from one tiny Shetland lamb. Molina fought as Don pushed her bak to her pen. Feet firmly planted she skidded along the smooth cement floors. Good thing too. The nicely halter broke sheep behind her were getting impatient. Two and 1/2 hours later Molina was wearing her wool again. The spinners said her wool spun like warm butter and the weaver, Susan Lightner won the weaving award. But Molina was not done being Molina. Christine had to carry her back to the car to be put back in her crate for the trip home. Wish I had a picture of that but it was dark. Molina is fine and happy this morning but she is staying out of my reach.

Sheep Art

I found this 1919 magazine cover in an antique shop. Although the walls are full of sheepy art I couldn't resist buying it. There has to be an empty space on a wall somewhere.