Professional Mowers

In days past, when the pastures would get low, or it was just time to move the sheep off them, I would put up my  temporary fencing.  It was aluminum wire that I strung up on temporary posts supported by metal T posts on the corners.        It was very time consuming to put up and then take down and move, so I am really appreciating the real temp fencing that we purchased this summer.  (Sheep & Goat Temp netting from Premier)

This temp fence is really great - and so quick to move.  I just love being able to move it every few days without investing a lot of time in doing so.

As much as I like it, it's safe to say the sheep like it more!  Their pastures are practically bare, so it's worked out well to be able to turn them out in new areas. 

 Fresh weeds! 

The lambs are growing well and despite the heat and dry summer, they have been doing great.  I am really looking forward to shearing the lambs in the next few weeks.    Seems it is always starting in October but continuing  up into November before I am finished shearing, so hoping to get a jump on it by shearing the lambs much earlier than usual.

It's been one quick summer!

Lambs, Lambs, Lambs

Deloris, our mouflon ewe, finally had her babies last week:

a little mouflon ram lamb,

and a little mouflon ewe lamb.

We are expecting a few more lambs from our yearlings, but meanwhile, here's some updated photos of our older babies.

Carlie's ewe lamb -what a pretty smile

 Alice and her gray/black ewe lamb

Cheyenne and her Black/Gray ewe lamb

 Carlie's Black/gray ewe lamb

 LeAnn and her white ewe lamb

Josie's Gray/Moorit ram lamb.

It's been a good lambing season, however it's not been without loss.   We lost our yearling "lil friend" earlier in the lambing season.   She aborted her lamb, it was malpresented.  I assisted and felt she would be ok but we lost her a few days later.   

A couple weeks ago, we lost a lamb from our Gray Moorit yearling Savannah.   She had her lamb a couple of weeks earlier that I had expected, and her milk hadn't come in yet.   I supplemented with goats' colustrum, but it must have been too late, as she got weaker and weaker as the evening went on, and we lost her the next day, despite all the efforts to save the little lamb, I just didn't catch it in time.

A Few More Lamb Photos

This little guy is a Shetland/Icelandic cross (above)

 Josie's Gray/Moorit Ram

 Lambie's Gray/Moorit Ram Lamb

DiDi's twin rams (the white ones) 

Alice's lambs - Mr B(white lamb)  and his sister.

Delilah and lambs.  -black ewe lamb / white ram lamb

More Lambs

Out of 11 lambs, we are up to 3 ewe lambs. Fortunately we have several more ewes to lamb yet.

Meanwhile,
This little gal is one of Carlies' angels.

This is her sister:

This cute fella belongs to DiDi (from the lamb that had a broken leg/surgery, etc a couple of years ago)

And this is his adorable brother:

And this cutie is mine. He's been such a great helper. He showed me today that he can catch the lambs by himself now. (which is a skill that will be very helpful this fall come shearing time!) He sure loves to "hold the b mom!" "hold the b!"

Gray/Moorit Ram Lamb

Lambie had her lamb today. Her lambing record is pretty consistent: 1,1,1, ram, ram, ram. Her first lambing was a white lamb, 2nd year (last year) was a black lamb, and this year, she's had this lovely little gray moorit lamb.

I didn't realize Lambie carried the moorit gene, so that was a surprise. I guess a real surprise from her now would be twin ewes next year!

New Lambs

Deliliah had a set of twins yesterday, a ram (above) and a ewe.

This little gal here looks to be a gray black (see the silver around her mouth?) She'll have a gray undercoat with a black outer coat.

Big brother coming to check things out!

Waiting on lambs

and it shouldn't be much longer!

Meanwhile.. the firstborn here is getting quite a bit of attention from us- not that he looks like he wants to be- is he sticking his tongue out at me?

oh wait, no that must have been a mistake-he's too sweet for that!

Aren't lambs cute when they're smiling? (and .. well, even when they're not?)

What a happy little lamb.

(And Alice, you were asking about a name... I haven't named him, but if you can come up with a name for him, it's all yours. While you're working on that, I'll work on shearing his momma)