I made it to the market this week for the first time. I’d replaced my old canopy so the sprinkling wasn’t an issue. Sara and Tammy munched away at the bluegrass and clover and got lots of attention. My offerings were wool in various stages of processing – raw fleeces, rovings and spun yarn. Between very enjoyable exchanges with visitors, I was able to actually do some spinning, too! The day’s earnings from yarn sales paid for the year’s market fees… and a brownie! And yes, that’s a dog on my lap. My pal, Joey.
Codon Test Results and New Rams
Wonderful news in the genetics department! All animals in the breeding flock tested as RR – meaning they will give a gene for resistance to scrapies to every one of their offspring.
The boys from Nebraska are due to arrive on Tuesday Wednesday. I’ll miss my baby, Quinn, but he’ll be able to be used as a breeder in his new home. Here with all his half sisters he’d need to be “wethered”.
Unrelated breeding groups
I have been in contact with a registered Babydoll breeder in Nebraska who had a bumper crop of ram lambs this year. Pending the results of both of our codon testing, we will be swapping 2 ram lambs so each of us can offer un-related breeding groups…actually, more-distantly-related. He purchased his ram from the same breeder as I, but analysis of the pedigrees indicate an acceptably distant relationship for breeding purposes (coefficient of relationship = 6.25%). Because of the quality of the flock we both purchased from, this gives me greater confidence of good genetics than from an unknown source. Both of his ram lambs are white. Check them out at: caryroadfarms.com/sheep/ Tentatively rams #5 and #13.
Timing of lamb and codon test result availability
A new feature I am providing this year is codon test results for the lambs. All of them have the resistance gene to scrapies (R ) from their father, but for breeding purposes, it is useful to know what allele they received from their mothers. The tests, however, take a while to be processed so the likelihood is that they will not be known until about July 1st.
The first batch of lambs (from Claire, Fergie, Hattie,and Iris), will be weaned ~ June 1st. Tammy and Quin, from Katie and Nina, will be weaned ~ July 1st.
Flock moves out to pasture
As winter begrudgingly gives way to spring, the pasture is starting to grow – and the barnyard is getting nasty. Transitioning the flock to spending days on pasture has been eventful. The moms are well conditioned to following me and the feed sled to the temporary pasture enclosures – the babies, not so much. I spent a number of mornings cornering, catching, and carrying lambs out to their mothers. Today they all figured it out!!
Rhonda and Paula playing on overturned feed sled.
The lambs’ antics are a wonderful antidote to time-crunch stresses of springtime on the farm. They swarm fish schools. Sorry, I was unable to catch (on video) them chasing my layer hens around the pasture. They are similar to goats in liking to play king of the ____ (whatever is the highest spot in the pen).
I modified an existing broiler chicken tractor to serve as creep feeder and rain shelter for the lambs. Today I added an attached the mineral feeder so I have less to move as they get rotated to various pasture plots.
Paula viewing life from inside the creep feeder.
Progress made on aquaponic system
Trying to fit in the necessary time for establishing the aquaponic system has been challenging, to say the least! Significant progress was made this weekend. The southern beds, one media-filled (upper) and one raft style (lower) were framed in.
Ken installing corner supports in raft bed.
Parts for the plumbing system all layed out according to system in the installation guide.
The next step will be to configure the plumbing and see where each of these pieces fits in.
Fiber Flock Expands
Expansion has taken a couple of forms here. I bought a couple of Shetland wethers from my friend, Allan. They have a different fleece – more slippery, shiny and feltable and he had two colored wethers that were otherwise slated for the butcher’s table. Moon Shadow is a light gray with darker spots and Noir is pitch black. I need to read up on Shetland color variations and terminology to be more precise than that. From the looks of them they don’t eat much so won’t be as effective as my Babydolls in the landscape management department. Currently they are walking through holes in fences I didn’t know I had, but are integrating well with the Babydolls.
Noir (front) and Moon Shadow (rear) sharing hay with Edwin (right).
Just in the nick of time, my friends Jean and Stefan, helped me prepare the nursery in the upper barn. Claire, (who you might remember didn’t show any lambs in the ultra-sound!!) gave birth to a baby girl Sunday at around 6:00pm. After a little coaching Claire is doing a great job of mothering this year. Gott sei dank!
Little Olivia explores under the watchful eye of mama Claire.
Shearing Day!
Shearing provided some surprises in exterior versus interior coloration of the fleeces.
Shearing day was quite a success! It was warm and sunny and everyone was excited to be outside. We had over 25 people show up to watch the sheep be parted from their fleeces and consume some tasty Amish cooking. Brent, our shearer, did a phenomenal job quickly and carefully sheering all 41 animals, ranging from some ~150 pound Icelandic-Gotland crosses to perhaps 40 pound Shetland yearlings. I was very pleased with the wool harvest from my Babydolls, with the adults averaging over 5 pounds per fleece even after having left the (dirty) belly wool in the scrap heap.
The wool will be shaded and as soon as possible the dirty and short bits will be removed (=”skirting”) and transferred to more breathable bags.
We found some new spotting under all that wool – a natural heather effect!
Shearing Day Opportunities
Plans are in place for the group shearing day this Saturday at the Amish B&B. Three colors of my Babydoll Southdown rovings from last year’s shearing will be available for purchase: Espresso, Semi-sweet, and Cream at $3/oz. Raw fleeces will be for sale at $18/lb. for virgin fleeces (Nina and Katie) and $16/lb. for the adults. I’m pricing my fiber at a slight discount to the Shetland fiber due to general lack of public knowledge of the value of Babydoll wool. Fresh fleeces and processed wool from both the Shetlands and Icelandic-Gotland sheep will also be for sale. The sun is forecast to be shining for a great day for an outing!
Ewe Ultrasound Surprises
Yesterday’s ultrasounds were very worthwhile. I learned my second 2013 ewe lamb is also expecting, but her mother is not. Note to self… the best stage at which to do ultrasounds is the 50-60 day window (from conception). At that point the fetuses are small enough that the number can also be observed, so multiples can be planned for. The scaling of the learning curve continues!