# Ringo’s Lambs! Baymule’s 5th Lambing



## Baymule

Ringo’s first TEXAS lambs! Little Cutie had twin ewe lambs. I put a purple spot on one so I could satisfy myself they were both suckling. 

Here they are! @Mike CHS 




 

Mom is busy licking off the purple spot! LOL


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## Beekissed

Congrats to Ringo!   I hope they all have his easy disposition and good size.


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## luvmypets

Beautiful lambs as always, maybe you'll get some flashy girls this season.


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## Mini Horses

Lovely!!   The spots are a wonderful sight, easy to identify who is who ….. BUT a ewe is great, no matter the color and you got TWO!!    Congrats.   I was thinking another week or two for lambs -- now is better.


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## Baymule

Mini Horses said:


> Lovely!!   The spots are a wonderful sight, easy to identify who is who ….. BUT a ewe is great, no matter the color and you got TWO!!    Congrats.   I was thinking another week or two for lambs -- now is better.


I was thinking a couple of weeks too! Surprise!


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## CntryBoy777

Aren't they just Beautiful!!........I see "sheep math" coming......


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## AmberLops

Aww! They're adorable! Congratulations


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## Sheepshape

Gorgeous. Did you see the birth?

They both look clean and healthy.

Congratulations to all of you!


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## misfitmorgan

Congrats Bay!!! and Ringo!


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## misfitmorgan

You're on time for deliveries. Ringo put himself with the girls on May 2nd, so lambing window is 9/17-10/8 for those you didnt see mounted. 
Lady Baa Baa should be due tomorrow as she was tail wagging Ringo on May 11th. 
Miranda should be due the 7th. 
Lucy should be due the 12th.
Ewenique and Scottie should be Feb 28th.

There my OCD is better now


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## frustratedearthmother

misfitmorgan said:


> There my OCD is better now


That's awesome!  @Baymule - she's got you all fixed up now.  Write it down!


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## Baymule

Sheepshape said:


> Gorgeous. Did you see the birth?
> 
> They both look clean and healthy.
> 
> Congratulations to all of you!


I was out at the barn yesterday right before 2PM, then Russell came over and we went to cut a big dead tree by the barn, then several more in the horse pasture. We went up front to cut some trees from pasture #1 around 3:30, and there were babies! 



misfitmorgan said:


> You're on time for deliveries. Ringo put himself with the girls on May 2nd, so lambing window is 9/17-10/8 for those you didnt see mounted.
> Lady Baa Baa should be due tomorrow as she was tail wagging Ringo on May 11th.
> Miranda should be due the 7th.
> Lucy should be due the 12th.
> Ewenique and Scottie should be Feb 28th.
> 
> There my OCD is better now


 Thanks for the schedule! I'm glad your OCD is better. Haha, Miranda is bagging up in her usual milk cow manner. When the ewes are at the hay bale, I see round bellies and bagging up udders.


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## Mini Horses

Best time to check!!  AT THE FEEDER  --- all lined up & heads down, makes it easy to walk along an look.


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## misfitmorgan

I agree at the feeder is the best time to scope them out.


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## Mike CHS

Congratulations!  We just now got to look at the pictures you sent Teresa.


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## Baymule

Miranda Lambert has twins last night, both boys. They are strong and vigorous, up, know who their momma is. I watched Little Cutie’s lambs follow a chicken, Baa-baaing. Dummies!


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## Mini Horses

How adorable!  Colored one like mom, one like dad   they look to be decent sized, too.  You're on a roll there!


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## Baymule

Lily just had a splotchy colored single, white, black and brown. I left her alone right at dark, went back 30 minutes later, there was a beautiful lamb, up and sucking. 

@Mike CHS it is colored like Percy and Taffy. Don’t know sex yet. I’ll find out in the morning. Lily is brown, her parents are both white Katahdins. Her mom, Lady BaaBaa has a spot on her ear like Ringo.


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## CntryBoy777

Sheep Math!!....
So glad ya are having such a success with the "season" and it speaks to the Great care that ya "give" them.....and certainly hope it continues going as Well for ya.........


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## Mike CHS

Another Congratulations.  I guess the color is coming from Ringo but I'm not sure why there would be a whole season with all white sheep, then the colors show up.   Most of his daughters here have light brown spots but there isn't a lot of color except for Taffy and Percy.  They do all have his personality though and come up to get petted


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## Baymule

Pictures! It’s. Girl! WHOOP! This looks like a keeper. Teresa is a Lammy Grammy! So am I, but I bestow  the highest honor on Teresa. LOL @Mike CHS we want you and Teresa to have naming rights. This girl will still have to make it through the parasite resistance, growth, disposition and other criteria, but for now, we are thinking keeper. Please name her for us. 




 

Isn’t she gorgeous? Look at this face! 



 

Amazing how much she looks like Percy and Taffy! Can you post pictures of them for look alike comparison?


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## Mike CHS

Teresa thinks Game of Thrones names work.  Aria or Sansa.  I'll dig up some pictures of the others.


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## B&B Happy goats

ARIA


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## Mike CHS

Here is Percy just before he left and Taffy when she was younger.


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## Baymule

The inside of their ears being black is just too cool. 

We like Aria. Just to check pronunciation, is it are-E-uh?


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## Roving Jacobs

Badgerface babies are too cute!  You're getting me excited to put together breeding groups soon.


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## RollingAcres

So cute!!!


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## Baymule

Aria means "from gold" in Albanian, lioness of God in Hebrew, and noble in Persian. I like it.


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## Mini Horses

Mike CHS said:


> there isn't a lot of color except for Taffy and Percy. They do all have his personality though and come up to get petted



  Of the two choices, color or personality -- color loses!   BUT -- I think this new lamb got both.

Aria is just beautiful.   I would keep her...if you don't   Not only is her face lovely, just look at the white "fur piece" she is wearing around her shoulders!    You finally got the "colored ewe" you've been hoping to get.


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## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> The inside of their ears being black is just too cool.
> 
> We like Aria. Just to check pronunciation, is it are-E-uh?




Are E ah


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## CntryBoy777

Beautiful!!.....looks like a really color filled season....such sweet little things they are.....


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## Mike CHS

B&B Happy goats said:


> Are E ah



That's it. We ran into town and just got back.

She was our favorite character on Game of Thrones.


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## B&B Happy goats

What a Impressive  and colorful  bunch  of lambs you are having this year !    Way to go Ringo


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## B&B Happy goats

That was a awesom idea that @Mike CHS  and Teresa had about Game of Thrones names...thought I would add a few more of the....for the girls...
Ygritte
Sansa.  San sah
Danenerys  dan er ies
Cersei  sur see
Brienne. Brie en
Melisandre. Mels an drea
Catelyn.  Kate lyn
Gilly


Boys if you decide to name them other than dinner, lol
Theon
Tyrion    teir e on
Jamie
Eddard
Bran
Sandor
Jorah

JON SNOW *** ♡♡♡   for the best

Have fun naming your lambs  and rams whatever you decide to name them


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## Baymule

So far, only Aria is a keeper. I won't be keeping Little Cuties lambs-or her either for that matter. She is a hard keeper-parasite wise. And she is a disinterested mother, just not attentive at all. They can be out of her sight, baa-baaing their tiny little lungs out and she could care less.  They are pretty darn stupid too. One of them couldn't find her mommy, so went through the cow panel to go see if Ringo would be her mommy.  Aria KNOWS who her mommy is, so do Miranda's lambs.


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## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> So far, only Aria is a keeper. I won't be keeping Little Cuties lambs-or her either for that matter. She is a hard keeper-parasite wise. And she is a disinterested mother, just not attentive at all. They can be out of her sight, baa-baaing their tiny little lungs out and she could care less.  They are pretty darn stupid too. One of them couldn't find her mommy, so went through the cow panel to go see if Ringo would be her mommy.  Aria KNOWS who her mommy is, so do Miranda's lambs.



Well I wouldn't  keep them either, dang dummies....at least she went to her daddy looking for some lamb support , lol
Then Aria is  the perfect name for her, ...aria is strong willed, clever and a  total survior...no parasite will invade her and make her weak !


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## Mike CHS

Culling is hard but it pays off.  I had a hard time this morning when we dropped off the two ram lambs at the butcher this morning.  They were the sweetest ram lambs that we have ever had but they didn't fit the program.


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## Baymule

Lucy just had twins. We sat outside and watched. Don’t know sex yet, I’ll find out in the morning. They are wobbly and Lucy is a little skittish.


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## frustratedearthmother

You got another  spotty lamb!


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## B&B Happy goats

Your on a roll there Bay , congradulatios


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## Baymule

Yesterday I was pulling hay off the round bale for Ringo, Scottie and Ewenique. Scottie was standing right next to me and Ringo bred her! He showed NO aggression at all! He even wanted his head scratches. Amazing. He bred her once more that we saw, no telling how many times the lovey-dovey couple.....ahem......


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## B&B Happy goats

Way to go Ringo, you smooth talking ram man you


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## Mike CHS

Ringo has been handled so much from the time he was born that humans have no affect on him other than to give him attention.  When we first thought about getting him I spent a lot of time looking into how the Virginia Tech program worked.  The ram lambs that survived that program were in the top 5% of those tested that year.  They either thrived in that program or died but they were well treated and used to being handled.  He just seems to get easier as he gets older.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> Ringo has been handled so much from the time he was born that humans have no affect on him other than to give him attention.  When we first thought about getting him I spent a lot of time looking into how the Virginia Tech program worked.  The ram lambs that survived that program were in the top 5% of those tested that year.  They either thrived in that program or died but they were well treated and used to being handled.  He just seems to get easier as he gets older.


Can you expound on their techniques and programs, please?


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## Baymule

Lucy’s lambs are up and we’ll this morning. The spotty one is a ewe, the white one, a ram lamb. Another  ewe keeper for the flock.


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## Mike CHS

Virginia Tech has an amazing number of sheep that they breed and test in various programs.  They are kept in what would be considered limited confinement conditions from the time they were born until they go to sale.  If you look at Ringo's papers, the original owner is the university as he was born and selected from one of their contract farms.  They make sure they ingest every parasite in various amounts and as long as they tolerate the parasite load, they get no meds.  They do constant testing and monitoring of the ram lambs to make sure they stay healthy considering what is going on in their systems.  If they start to go downhill, they are pulled and treated and nurtured back to good condition and then sold.  I never did find out how long this goes on but when they reach the end of the program, they are monitored to ensure they are back in condition and then offered at their annual sale.


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## Mike CHS

I like the markings.


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## Baymule

Eve had twin boys early this morning! Now there are 3 more ewes to lamb, 1 is bagging up, the other 2 I think will be awhile.


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## Mike CHS

More nice color!!!  With ours, the black seems to hold but the brown seems to fade unless it's deep to start with.


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## frustratedearthmother

Oh my goodness - look at all those spots!  Love, love, love them!


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## Beekissed

Love all the colors and twinning, Bay!  That Ringo is a keeper.


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## B&B Happy goats

Awesome  looking lambs,  for the rest to be ewes for your flock


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## Baymule

Lucy had a brown head as a lamb, but as you can see, it faded away.

Lucy as a lamb.







Lucy now.


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## B&B Happy goats

........


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## B&B Happy goats

When are the next lambs due ?


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## Baymule

B&B Happy goats said:


> When are the next lambs due ?


A few hours ago.


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## B&B Happy goats

.....


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## Baymule

We left this morning, we’re gone several hours. Moonpie has a ram lamb, single. 

His front pasterns are flat to the ground. Will they straighten out on their own or do I need to splint and vet wrap them? Maybe give it a day or two to see if he stands up on his hooves or go into Dr. Baymule mode?

@Mike CHS @Sheepshape @Goat Whisperer @frustratedearthmother @Roving Jacobs @secuono 

I remember seeing this before on BYH, but don’t remember what was done about it.


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## B&B Happy goats

Poor baby ...hope  you get a easy fix


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## Mike CHS

Our vet told us not to splint the one we had.  The one we had was the one that the momma ewe kept forcing it to her feet and wouldn't let her stay down.


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## Mike CHS

I had to go back in our log book to check but we did give the lamb a Vitamin B shot at the recommendation of our vet.  He didn't see the lamb but he's one of the few that will give advice over the phone for his regulars.

Edit - that was Vitamin B12 and we got it at TSC


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## Baymule

Thanks Mike, I remember your outstanding ewe momma. This lamb’s name is Dinner, but I want him to be healthy, run, play and do lamb things.


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## secuono

I haven't had this issue, yet. So can't give first hand advice. But I've seen it on FB and they gave vits, selenium and a few days to tighten up on their own.


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## Goat Whisperer

Edited


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## frustratedearthmother

Disclaimer:  I'm a goatie not a sheeple so my advice is coming from goat experience.

When I have a kid that I don't think is as thrifty as he should be - and especially if he seems weak in the legs - I'd give him some selenium gel.  I also use the A, D, E and B12 paste. 

I rarely wrap them, but if he doesn't start getting stronger in a few days then a light wrap for  24 hours might help.  But, I'd give the selenium time to work before I'd resort to wrapping.


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## Ridgetop

Just finally able to check my emails. 

Congratulations on your keeper ewe lambs!  Especially fun since they are pretty to look at.  And lots of nice meat lambs to sell too.  Check up on how to register the ewe lambs with the Katahdin association as percentages.  Since you want to eventually have a registered flock, if you register these two, then continue to register lambs out of them and their daughters, granddaughters, etc., eventually you end up with a high enough percentage animal to qualify as 97% (?) pure.  All registries are different, but Mike and Theresa can tell you about the registry.  You will have to join the Katahdin Breeders' Association, but there are benefits to joining a breeders' association.

Only 2 to go!

How is the new pasture coming?


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## Baymule

Thanks for the help and advice! @Goat Whisperer i have given kelp before, but not this time.

His back pasterns were weak too, but not as bad. I just picked him up and set him on his feet. He walked after his momma and his back pasterns have straightened up. 

I appreciate everyone’s help!


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## Baymule

My closest TSC doesn't have the selenium/E gel, but one 50 miles and one 40 miles away does. We are going that way tomorrow to go visit @Devonviolet and her husband, so we'll be sure to buy it and give some to the little guy.


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## Mike CHS

If the lamb is standing the chances are that it's OK.  A whole lot depends on how it was laying in the womb.  
We have had three of them and they all recovered very well.


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## Sheepshape

I had a lamb who had 'feet' a couple of years back. He was other wise very healthy and could run VERY fast. I didn't try to correct it as the vet thought it was probably a congenital anomaly and it didn't impact his mobility at all. 
If the shape of his legs is down to abnormal stretching due to a flexed position in the womb it will correct itself. Every year I have a few lambs (especially those from multiple births) which have hyper-extended legs such that they bow backwards/outwards. This always disappears within a couple of days.


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## misfitmorgan

Wow quite the lamb spread you have there Bay...congrats!!


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## Baymule

misfitmorgan said:


> Wow quite the lamb spread you have there Bay...congrats!!


Thanks, this is the best lambing I have ever had.


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## Mike CHS

This is what makes it all worth it.


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## Baymule

The only problem I had was the lamb with floppy feet. I gave him the selenium and E that was recommended. He slowly straightened up. Trip nudged him, making him get up, then nudged him into walking. He looks normal now.


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## misfitmorgan

Glad he is doing better


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## Baymule

Haha I call him Dinner Flip-Flop, cause boys are Dinner and his feet looked like flip flops. It is raining today, the ewes and lambs are enjoying the barn.


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## mrs.mystang89

Congratulations!!!!! I'm loving all the babies!


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## Baymule

Lamb pictures! 

The brown and white spotted lamb is a ewe, named Latigo. Keeper. The white ram lamb is her brother. He’s standing on a stump. Dinner. 




 

Here’s Aria! Isn’t she beautiful! Barely in the picture is the ram lamb that had the floppy front feet. They straightened up and he runs and plays. 



 

One of Miranda’s twins, both ram lambs. Floppy Feet is photo-bombing. LOL 





Eve had twin ram lambs. This is one of them. 



 

Just because she’s so pretty, here’s Aria again. 



 

Bedtime!


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## frustratedearthmother

How many more ewes left to lamb?


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## Beekissed

Bay, those are just the prettiest lambs ever!!!  Where in the world did you get that Barbados blood in that flock?  That is one beautiful lamb.   

Can't WAIT to have a passel of lambs at my place.


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## Mike CHS

They are all adorable!


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## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> How many more ewes left to lamb?



2 more, but for whatever reason, I think they bred later than the first 6 did. Ringo is with 2 ewes now, I saw him breed one of them October 7.



Beekissed said:


> Bay, those are just the prettiest lambs ever!!!  Where in the world did you get that Barbados blood in that flock?  That is one beautiful lamb.
> 
> Can't WAIT to have a passel of lambs at my place.



Barbado? There is no Barbado in my flock. If you mean Aria, the pretty spotted ewe lamb, scroll back, Mike had 2 lambs marked just like her.


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## frustratedearthmother

Don't Barbado's have black bellies?  I do like the look of some of the Painted Desert Sheep though - they're colorful!


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## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> Barbado? There is no Barbado in my flock. If you mean Aria, the pretty spotted ewe lamb, scroll back, Mike had 2 lambs marked just like her.



Huh!  Maybe in Ringo's bloodline somewhere?  Seems like whenever you see those markings in a flock that somewhere in the back breeding there is a little Barbado or Painted Desert sheep going on.  I love those colors and markings in a sheep.


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## mrs.mystang89

So so so adorable!


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## Mike CHS

Beekissed said:


> Huh!  Maybe in Ringo's bloodline somewhere?  Seems like whenever you see those markings in a flock that somewhere in the back breeding there is a little Barbado or Painted Desert sheep going on.  I love those colors and markings in a sheep.



There definitely could be but I don't remember how many generations are listed on Ringo's papers.  I know of several people that use some Barbie ewes and then record a few generations later for parasite resistance since they can be so hardy.


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## Baymule

I have seen pictures of some real marked up Katahdins. There is a farm a county or so away that raises Painted Desert Sheep, they sure are pretty.


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## Mini Horses

@Baymule I love the picture of all those lambs laying there 

In the pic he photo bombed, you can see that boy is up on his feet as he should be!   I see no issues there.   Sometimes they just come out a little "off".  Hey, they've been crowded and floating around for months...some time it takes a day or two to collect themselves.  

I can remember occasionally needing to hold foals up to nurse, every few hours for a day or two.  If they arrive a little early, they can be weak at first.   Then those rascals race around with the best of them!   Mother's milk is an amazing product.


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## Baymule

@Beekissed started a good thread on Katahdin body styles.

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/katahdin-body-styles.40104/

This made me take a good look at my own sheep, indeed, last year and the year before, using a Dorper ram, I had some of those curly coated wooly types lambs. Then I took a closer look at my ewes, particularly the ones I intend to cull. I have one that is the poster child for bad conformation.







How did I miss THIS? Then I remembered, she was one of those shaggy ones who didn't shed well and had a thick wad of wool on her back. She and her lambs are already slated for the cull pen. So I did some more digging, where did this come from? I'll post this, have to switch to my cell phone to post more pictures.


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## Baymule

We bought a Dorper ram, in summer of 2016, from the same lady we bought our first 4 ewes from. I was very excited over him.

This is the picture she sent me of him.





This is him in our trailer, bringing him home.





NOW I see the high shoulder, the swayback dip and the hump back. Hard to see under the woolly layer, but it was there. I didn’t see it, in my ignorance I trusted the lady to choose a good ram.

In all fairness I chose mixed breed ewes to start from, I called them my learning Sheep and have I ever learned! I sure didn’t want to kill an expensive sheep out of stupidity and I have lost some along the way. My initial object was to have lambs for slaughter. As I have evolved and learned, I discovered I wanted a better flock of sheep. At first I wanted Dorpers, I slowly decided I wanted Katahdins for a variety of reasons. The Dorper ram I had was mean, it sealed his doom and he took a one way ride to freezer camp. I kept his son solely for the purpose of another lambing, then he too went to freezer camp. I had my eye on the ram of my dreams.

The moment @Mike CHS said he was going to change rams, I claimed Ringo. Mike and Teresa were satisfied that he would have a good home with us and the rest is history.

Now the moment of truth. What a difference! Look at the top line, straight, long and overall a beautiful example of what quality looks like.
Ringo is a beautiful ram with a personality to match.










So now my attention turns to my ewes. I have some good, some not so good and a couple of just plain lousy ewes. The culling process will be hard, these are my pets, but if I ever want a good commercial flock, I have to keep my eye on the prize. As I take away from the flock, I want to add a few quality registered ewes. I have a much better idea of what I want and what to look for, enriched by the lumps and bumps along the way.


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## misfitmorgan

Baymule said:


> We bought a Dorper ram, in summer of 2016, from the same lady we bought our first 4 ewes from. I was very excited over him.
> 
> This is the picture she sent me of him.
> 
> View attachment 67133
> 
> This is him in our trailer, bringing him home.
> 
> View attachment 67130
> 
> NOW I see the high shoulder, the swayback dip and the hump back. Hard to see under the woolly layer, but it was there. I didn’t see it, in my ignorance I trusted the lady to choose a good ram.
> 
> In all fairness I chose mixed breed ewes to start from, I called them my learning Sheep and have I ever learned! I sure didn’t want to kill an expensive sheep out of stupidity and I have lost some along the way. My initial object was to have lambs for slaughter. As I have evolved and learned, I discovered I wanted a better flock of sheep. At first I wanted Dorpers, I slowly decided I wanted Katahdins for a variety of reasons. The Dorper ram I had was mean, it sealed his doom and he took a one way ride to freezer camp. I kept his son solely for the purpose of another lambing, then he too went to freezer camp. I had my eye on the ram of my dreams.
> 
> The moment @Mike CHS said he was going to change rams, I claimed Ringo. Mike and Teresa were satisfied that he would have a good home with us and the rest is history.
> 
> Now the moment of truth. What a difference! Look at the top line, straight, long and overall a beautiful example of what quality looks like.
> Ringo is a beautiful ram with a personality to match.
> 
> 
> View attachment 67132
> 
> View attachment 67131
> 
> So now my attention turns to my ewes. I have some good, some not so good and a couple of just plain lousy ewes. The culling process will be hard, these are my pets, but if I ever want a good commercial flock, I have to keep my eye on the prize. As I take away from the flock, I want to add a few quality registered ewes. I have a much better idea of what I want and what to look for, enriched by the lumps and bumps along the way.



In fairness to the breeder I would only mention that perhaps she wasnt concerned with body type and went with weight/growth factors when deciding he was a good ram. We have sacrificed confirmation for goals a time or two. I would say write a list of your goals then pick a few to stick with until you get them locked into your herds genes. A type A body doesnt mean all offspring will be type A...vice versa for type B. 

Our goal is size in height and weight so if i have a ewe who is small in the brisket but otherwise is 2 inches taller then my other ewes and weighs 15-20lbs more I am for sure going to bred her and just hope that my very nice confirmation ram will help even things out. As you go thru generations things will even out and your herd will eventually be closer to your goal.

If we were all rich we would start with our dream animals....us poor folks have to work up though and there is no shame in it. Working up make most of the great animals and breds we have now.


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## Baymule

The ram did have a nice butt.  And he taught me that I didn't want Dorpers. 

I will upgrade my flock, it won't happen overnight. The journey along the way will be interesting, educational, but most of all, it will be fun. When we are watching lambs being born, getting up and nursing, it doesn't matter in that moment whether or not they are show stoppers or total rejects. In that moment, we are in awe of the beautiful creatures they are.


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## AlleysChicks

Beautiful lambs! Makes me want a pair of those colorful babies!


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## Baymule

AlleysChicks said:


> Beautiful lambs! Makes me want a pair of those colorful babies!


Thanks!


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## Mike CHS

Baymule said:


> Thanks!



I think we are the hardest judges of our sheep and our original mutts are a good example of how the mutts are the hardiest.  Your lamb crop is super and Ringo is only half of the reason.  Your ewes are the other half.


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## FluffTheDuck

Beautiful lambs! I love lambs!


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## luvmypets

Beautiful lambs this year Bay, and you got some flashy girls to top it off. Been several years since I have had lambs around and I miss it. Now I’m just overrun with piglets. Not that I dont love it but I miss the simplicity of the little baas.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> I think we are the hardest judges of our sheep and our original mutts are a good example of how the mutts are the hardiest.  Your lamb crop is super and Ringo is only half of the reason.  Your ewes are the other half.


Mike that is such a nice thing to say. You are right, l am hard on judgment of my stock, but only because I have learned so much over the last 4 years. My sheep are also pets which makes it hard to make the cull cuts, but it must be done to get better quality in my flock. My mixed breed ewes have taught me so much and for  that I am grateful to them. 

What is the diameter of the holes in your creep feeder? I’m thinking of making one, I can cut holes in plywood and come up with something. Oh, what is the depth from the hole to the floor where you put the Feed and over all height? I sure would appreciate it! 

This makes it all worthwhile. Recognize the attention hog? LOL 
He’s sneaking in to get his share of love.


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## Mike CHS

He never misses a chance to get hands on him.  

I'll take some measurements on the creep feeder when I'm down at the shop this morning.


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## Mike CHS

Last year we made a rectangular box attached to the stall with roughly the same measurements as our round metal feeder.  The creep feeder is 19" in diameter and the hole openings are 6" across with the bottom 5" from the bottom and 10" to the top of the openings from the bottom.


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## Baymule

Thanks Mike!


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## Baymule

Yesterday I castrated the ram lambs. The black one is looking so good, that I hated to cut him, but a mutt ram is not what I want at this time. Since BJ banged himself up unloading lambs at the packing house, I had a neighbor come over to hold them for me.





__





						Taking Lambs To Slaughter
					

Our lamb loading has a lot to be desired. We have invited our friend over to help us catch and carry lambs to the trailer, it took 2 or 3 of us, that worked, not great, but it worked. I have tackled them in the lot, slipped a halter on them and led/dragged them to the trailer with me pulling and...



					www.backyardherds.com
				




Neighbor had never seen the process of castration, he was a little uneasy. He held them tight, very little wiggle, it was quick, over, sprayed the wound and set them down to run back to Momma. I checked on them a few times and by evening, they were maybe not bouncing around, but not walking spraddle legged either. I closed the dogs out to give the wethers time to heal. The dogs always have a "lick fest" on the sheep, it made me wonder if the dogs licking their little behinds would retard healing or speed it up. Anyone?


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## B&B Happy goats

@Baymule, contrary  to the belief that dogs licking a wound (on people or themselfs)  Is good....a dogs mouth is very germ filled a nd nasty...., I would think that after licking ones own bottom and then a lambs open num num incision, that would be a recipe for a nasty infection 🤔😷


----------



## Baymule

B&B Happy goats said:


> @Baymule, contrary  to the belief that dogs licking a wound (on people or themselfs)  Is good....a dogs mouth is very germ filled a nd nasty...., I would think that after licking ones own bottom and then a lambs open num num incision, that would be a recipe for a nasty infection 🤔😷


That is my thoughts too. The dogs are closed out. When I put Sentry up last night, he curled up in the hay as close as he could get to Ringo in the other pen.


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## B&B Happy goats

Baymule said:


> That is my thoughts too. The dogs are closed out. When I put Sentry up last night, he curled up in the hay as close as he could get to Ringo in the other pen.



SENTRY is going to be one  special dog, you can see the way he reacts to all you have been teaching him. I think you got another heart dog in your life🐶


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## Baymule

BJ and I were talking about him last night. I've had some really smart dogs, trained them to all sorts of voice commands, hand signals and tricks. Sentry is brilliant smart, but he will never be a "trick on command"  kind of dog. He is so smart that he transcends doing tricks, he is so above that, not in a snooty way, but in a wise way. He is not my sidekick, he is my partner. We are equals.


----------



## Beekissed

Bay, have you ever tried banding for sheep?   I've never really discussed that with sheep people, but did my first lamb via cutting and vowed never to do THAT again.  Seriously bungled that job and figured I'd band from now on.


----------



## farmerjan

If a ram lamb needs to be wethered, they get banded.  We either band the calves young, or they get banded bigger with the "callicrate" brand bander that you can do even 800 lb bulls with.   But the ram lambs do not get banded as many are sold as older rams with their large horns for the hunting preserve.  Sometimes there will be one that doesn't grow much for horns, but with the ethnic markets, they prefer the males to be intact so we seldom band any anymore.   Band at birth to 2 days or so, as soon as the testicles descend.  Give tetanus ANTITOXIN,  not toxoid,  if you feel the need to.  Many do not do anything more than band.  Don't do any cutting unless one has a nut that didn't descend and it can be felt/found later on.  It can be a tough job. For just cutting a calf it isn't so hard,  but we have had some pretty bad experiences, with vets doing the cutting.... so we just prefer to band.


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## Mike CHS

We had the vet castrate ram lambs during our first season but we had multiple problems with them.  After that we went back to banding any we are going to keep for meat and leave intact any that we are going to take to market.


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## Baymule

I have never banded lambs. I cut them and have never had a problem with any of them. What problems have you had @Mike CHS and @Beekissed ?  I cut them young, they run back to momma, by that evening they are pretty much back to normal.


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## Beekissed

Mine bled way too much, had to apply a pressure bandage to the area.   Been reading about cut vs. band vs. Burdizzo and I'm thinking I'd like to try the Burdizzo like tool on them instead of even banding.   Seems the least problematic and painful for the animal.


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## Mini Horses

I have a burdizzio and bander (or two).  

Banding, you slide it on and they holler when you release it onto them.  The banding left them whimpering for about 24 hrs, then like nothing had happened.   burdizzio, you have to hold it tight for longer and they do scream.  But, I noticed nothing that made me think there was any discomfort couple hrs later.   Then you don't have to watch for fall off...flies, etc.   Rarely use either much, sell most intact as ethnics prefer than.  But any that stay here have to be done.   So Spring of 2021 I will probably do a couple to grow out for freezer.
By then the  planned meat goats will be kidding.

Bought the Burdizzio from Premier.   

By the way, they have started carrying a line of "smaller" than commercial, meat processing things.  sausage stuffers, grinders, casings and a pretty interesting packager for ground meat in a tube.  Wasn't all that pricy either.   Ground is in a vac bag,  since I have the vac sealer.


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## Ridgetop

We have banded for 30 years - goats, lambs both.  We dock tails and castrate with bands.  Quick, easy, and no flies. I give1 ml Tetanus antitoxin as well as 2 ml CDT.  The Tetanus Antitoxin gives immediate protection while the CDT will eventually kick in.  We dock around 3 days but can do it later.  We castrate around 2 months old when we give the second CDT booster.  We like the jewels a little larger so we can identify the urethra cord easier.

That Dorper buck was _not_ a good one - way too short in the loin.  There are much better specimens out there.  The black headed Dorpers have a reputation as being "flighty" which my breeder friend who has both Dorpers and white Dorpers translates as "mean and nasty tempered".  The White Dorpers are completely different - sweet and docile.  With black headed Dorpers as your only experience, no wonder you changed to Katahdins!  Yours are very sweet natured which makes working with them so much more pleasant too.  I like to shead off any wool to get a good look at the actual bodies if the sheep haven't completely shed out.  Wool can hide a lot of sins.  When we used to show sheep years ago, you showed in the fleece and a good fitter could make a truly hideous shee look like a champion.  the judge had to really feel the animal and know what he was feeling to be able to judge properly.  I really like the hair sheep so much better since they are easier to judge when they shed out. 

Ringo is a lovely ram.  You easily can see the difference between his length of body and the short coupled body on that Dorper ram.  Having him helps you learn good body type.  You may not know how to explain what you see, but just living with good quality animals helps you learn what to look for.  You already can see the difference between him and the ewes you are culling.  You can breed his daughters to him one generation so you don't have to replace him when you decide to breed them.   It will also double up on his genetic material in the next generation and hopefully fix his genes in his double bred granddaughters.   Ringo has really stamped his get with his own good looks.  All the lambs show incredible improvement in type.

Those 2 spotted ewe lambs are adorable!  I love the colors on Aria.   Latigo reminds me of her sire.  Good length of body and very elegant looking.  Aria is also long and elegant.  Very flashy in the show ring.  We need to plan to go to the big Katahdin show this summer.  Road Trip! Can those 2 be entered as percentages?  Fall lamb class.  If you have lambs after January 1, they will be in the spring lamb class.  Ooh!  Maybe they will have a sale and you can get a registered ewe for Ringo!    

We noticed when castrating, etc. that the wooly coated lambs were more flighty than the ones with soft curly hair like Aria and Latigo.  The hairy ones are the keepers - I like their bodies better too.  Type As  LOL


----------



## Baymule

Thank you @Ridgetop  for the assessment of my ewes and Ringo, you actually did have "hands on" !!   I see the difference in the lambs in the first generation. I am being very critical of Aria and Latigo, they are meeting my expectations so far. They are both lovely girls.

I will always keep Ringo, even if I have to keep his own "harem" of ladies. LOL LOL I have thought about of out crossing to a quality white Dorper ram to put a little more butt on my flock. I know that I can breed Ringo's daughters to him for one generation and be ok, but any grand daughters bred to him-their lambs won't be keepers. I do want a few registered ewes so that I have the option of selling registered breeding stock to give another avenue of sales. 

Having a small flock, I have only sold the lambs as packaged meat. I have found buyers for the meat before taking them to slaughter and it has been easy because I only had a few. Tuesday we took 6 lambs to USDA slaughter, which gives me the opportunity to advertise the meat for sale. We'll see how that goes. I'll have 8 going to slaughter in May, I am looking for that clientele that wants good quality meat from animals raised in their natural environment versus feedlot meat. I'm looking for the people who want to know their farmer and how the meat they are eating was treated and fed. If this goes well, then YAY! If it flops, then I can always take them to auction. Either way, they still sell.


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## misfitmorgan

We band and have not had any problems. We also have not seen the bands bothering them for 24hrs as mentioned but we band about about 2 weeks - 2 months old. They have maybe 30-45 minutes of acting off then they act pretty normal because by then things have gone really numb. I have also seen lambs who were cut...again within an hour or so they are acting pretty normal again so I dont really see a major advantage for how they are acting.

The whole hot knife thing...nope I cant do that. Maybe I am just a whimp but its not for me I will be banding tails forever.


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## Mike CHS

Approximately how big were the lambs when you took them into the processor?


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## Baymule

They were almost 11 months old, when I called for a slaughter date, they were several months out. Normally I gave a 2-3 week notice, not 3 months. That’s why I went ahead and booked the lambs I have now. Mid May the winter grasses and clovers will be about done and the lambs will have the benefit of good grazing.


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## misfitmorgan

Baymule said:


> They were almost 11 months old, when I called for a slaughter date, they were several months out. Normally I gave a 2-3 week notice, not 3 months. That’s why I went ahead and booked the lambs I have now. Mid May the winter grasses and clovers will be about done and the lambs will have the benefit of good grazing.



Hopefully they make some really nice lamb for you guys. Lamb as in meat not alive things


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## Baymule

The 6 we just took are not Ringo’s.


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## Baymule

Just because she’s so pretty and so darn cute, here’s Aria.


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## Mike CHS

I love the color on her.


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## frustratedearthmother

She is gorgeous!


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## Ridgetop

🥰Aria is super flashy. Latigo is long and very elegant. You will have to reassess at different points in their lives, but a tremendous increase in balance and type. I am glad you will consider breeding back to Ringo another time with his daughters. I agree the 3rd breeding is asking for trouble - weird things happen.   LOL

Ringo is throwing his own correct type into his sons and daughters.  He has added tremendous length (the loin is the $$ cut) and correctness in body.  He is a great buck.  Great bucks stamp their progeny with their own type and characteristics.  He is certainly doing that.  I would love to see what he produces down the line from good registered Katahdin ewes.  Continue with improving your percentages for another generation and continue to _*cull heavily*_.   You can select your next Katahdin buck for additional thickness of leg if you feel you need it.

I would _*not *_add in any Dorpers.  Adding in Dorper blood just extends the time you have an unregistered flock.  It is not necessary.  You love the Katahdins - stay with them.  Stabilize your Katahdin percentage breedings - the new ewelings are very nice.  You have your flock plan - stick with it.  Add a few good registered Katahdin ewes.  Once you have the ideal Katahdin in your mind, you will know what to buy when adding to your flock.  Too many people get impatient and think they can do an outcross and immediately have success.  Line breeding is the safest way to breed when starting out.   By adding breeding animals with the characteristics you want - thick muscling, length, etc., you will improve everything without bringing in another breed.  (FYI  In many commercial flocks Texels are now being used as Terminal sires to improve the meat to bone ratio.  Frankly, with apologies to Texel breeders, I think Texels look like wooly pigs.  Since I like to look at my sheep, I would not have one but they are supposed to put on mega meat when used as an outcross sire.)

Adding a couple registered Katahdin ewes is a wonderful idea.  Go to the Katahdin show this summer with Mike and Teresa and see what is exhibited.  Check out the different breeders and their stock.  Each breeder breeds for his ideal perception of the standard.  Decide what your Katahdin ideal is and then buy ewes that represent that look.  Discuss Ringo's pedigree and background with Mike and Teresa to familiarize yourself with where the attributes he has that you want to produce come from.  Not just his desire for head rubs!    Then you can buy ewes that share the bloodlines that produce those characteristics.

You have already learned to differentiate a good ewe from a bad one.  It just gets better from here!   You are doing great!  On the way to a great Katahdin flock!!!  



l


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## WolfeMomma

Baymule said:


> Just because she’s so pretty and so darn cute, here’s Aria.
> 
> View attachment 67458


 I need some color like that in my flock. She is beautiful!!


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## Sheepshape

Arla is a really beautiful lamb. Are you keeping her for breeding?

I detest both docking and castrating, so ram lambs 'keep their bits'....and therefore their testosterone. Means some will get aggressive as they reach puberty, but I wouldn't keep an aggressive ram for breeding in any case. Some of my sheep do get  their tails docked, though there's very little by way of convincing evidence that docking reduces the incidence of 'fly strike' or that long tails are a problem during birthing. When selling lambs, there is an expectation that they will be docked.....the reason that I do them.

I used to use a 'hot knife' at the age of about 6 weeks for tail docking.The lamb made a small jump as the hot knife was applied, but, as nerve endings are 'fried', the pain is just for a split second. No infections, bleeding is very rare. Lambs trot off back to mum and start feeding as a rule. Hot dockers banned in Britain now....so back to banding  (though I'm doing very few of these).

My tups are only just in with the ewes, so I'm going to  have to wait until late March, early April for the little ones to appear.

Over here we do very little line breeding, tending to go for 'fresh blood'.As good tups can be very expensive we really on borrowing one or two, or occasionally buying an 'old boy' who will still be fine to breed 30 or so of the flock. Inbreeding can result in some horrendous deformities......I have pics. of a severely deformed lamb resulting from an unintended father/ daughter mating. Ewe had to be put down. If anyone wants to see the pics., let me know, but they are truly gruesome.

Just to say I have an Arya, too. Mine is a morbidly obese ewe of 3 who is a total sweetheart.


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## KWhitted

Congrats! They are all beautiful. Thank you for all of the info and advice for my own as well.

Blessings


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## Baymule

By all means @Sheepshape please post the pictures, we all have to face some ugly things in raising animals. By sharing and posting pictures, the good, bad and ugly, that’s how we all learn.


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## Sheepshape

Well, here goes.


Skip this post by all means

















It was such an awful thing to have to witness.


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## Baymule

That’s very sad. I know how much you love your sheep and that had to really twist your heart.


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## Ridgetop

Pretty awful deformity, poor thing.  The ewe must have been in pretty bad shape.  So sorry about that loss.

I am still not convinced that the abnormality was due simply to a father x daughter breeding, unless the flock was extremely in bred.  Deformities happen.  In 30 years of line breeding, along with some deliberate in breeding, I have never seen a deformed lamb, kid, puppy, kitten or rabbit.  I have done outcrosses, and then done inbreeding to  "set the pattern" after an outcross.  The only deformity I have seen was a doe that had a deformed single kid.  It was an outcross breeding and just an unfortunate abnormality.  The kid had to be removed by sectioning it inside the doe.  Nasty.

Unless your gene pool is extremely inbred, there should be no problem with"line breeding".  _Line breeding is not inbreeding. _ It is breeding similar individuals who share related bloodlines in their background to produce uniform offspring.  Carefully selecting the attributes you want to produce, you choose breeding partners from among distantly related animals. Usually you do not use anything closer than a cousin.  In my experience, line breeding is the easiest way for a novice to start their breeding program. They don't have to know all the ins and outs of the genetics in other breeders' bloodlines, just their own.  Eventually the novice breeder stops being a novice and is ready for an outcross.

Once you have a stable line breeding operation, you will want to bring in some new blood.  You can then do an "outcross" - breed to a completely unrelated ram or ewe hoping to add something to your flock from the unrelated animal.   Sometimes the new outcross breeding is a "nick" other times it is a dud.  This is why line breeding is safer than outcrossing for novices.  The outcross breeding can produce excellence or crap, whereas the line breeding usually produces uniformity.  Hopefully you get excellence.  Now you have to decide where to go from here.  You do not want to do another out cross with these new offspring since you will lose the progress you have made with this first cross.  Instead you have to "set the pattern".

You "set the pattern" with an "inbreeding".  You breed back to the dam or sire (on either side) hoping to double up on those desired genes.  Sister-brother, mother-son, father-daughter, are all examples of inbreeding.  Once you have set your pattern back in what you want, you can continue line breeding for a while.  At this point you have the option to breed to_ either _bloodline as a safe line breeding, knowing the breeding should blend well.

A good line breeding program should give you a very uniform flock.  In breeding and line breeding are what have been used by breeders to produce shared traits in bloodlines like parasite resistance, clean shedding ability, early lambing, low birth rate, high ADG, meatiness, among others.  Some color genetics can be produced or strengthened by inbreeding as well.  

Hope this helps to explain what is meant by the 3 terms - line breeding, inbreeding, and outcrossing.  As novice breeders continue on their journey they will come across these terms.  None of these 3 types of breeding are to be feared.  You just have to know when to use them properly, and why.


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## Sheepshape

Ridgetop said:


> I am still not convinced that the abnormality was due simply to a father x daughter breeding,


I'm not convinced that that this deformity was all down to father X daughter cross either.

All that I can say without any doubt is that recessive conditions are much more likely to occur when the mating partners are related. Breeding to an unrelated animal is less likely to give these problems if 'new blood' can be introduced. Giving 'bed and board' to a neighbour's rams/bucks or other males is ideal if the facility exists.
Look no further than the British royal family or the pharaoh lines to see the effect of breeding too close in humans. Haemophilia came to Victoria's offspring this way. (I'm not anti the Royals)
Back to the lamb.....it was probably just some unfortunate example of 'these things happen', but consanguinity may have played its part.


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## Shellymay

Just thought I would post this for folks, more info on line if you care to do research.....

https://www.pipestonestar.com/articles/mosquito-spread-virus-affecting-lamb-crop/


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## Baymule

Shellymay said:


> Just thought I would post this for folks, more info on line if you care to do research.....
> 
> https://www.pipestonestar.com/articles/mosquito-spread-virus-affecting-lamb-crop/



Interesting article, I had never heard of CVV. thanks for posting.


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## Mike CHS

Shellymay said:


> Just thought I would post this for folks, more info on line if you care to do research.....
> 
> https://www.pipestonestar.com/articles/mosquito-spread-virus-affecting-lamb-crop/



Another virus with no vaccine.    You ought to post more often and I mean that in a good way.


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## Ridgetop

Sheepshape said:


> All that I can say without any doubt is that recessive conditions are much more likely to occur when the mating partners are related.


I definitely agree with that, Sheepshape, however, as long as the flock is not too inbred, and with the occasional outcross, line breeding is a very good breeding tool to maintain excellence in the flock along with uniformity.


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## Baymule

I let the ewes and lambs out in the yard to graze. This is Aria and Latigo  in the driveway eating acorns. I was sitting in an outdoor chair, note the propped up foot in the bottom corner. LOL


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## frustratedearthmother

Is Sentry eating acorns too?


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## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Is Sentry eating acorns too?


Probably sheep poop.


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## WolfeMomma

So pretty!! look at all that color!


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## Sheepshape

Baymule said:


> This is Aria and Latigo in the driveway eating acorns.


Bay....get them away from the acorns ASAP. Acorns are toxic to sheep and can kill them.


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## Baymule

Acorns are also bad for horses and cattle. I stuffed the sheep with hay before I let them out to graze the winter rye in the yard. There are oak trees in every pasture, all over the property. We can't cut them all down. I have thought about a couple of pigs for fall, just to eat the acorns, but tossed that idea. LOL Don't turkeys like acorns and fatten on them? Maybe I need a flock of turkeys. 

My heart horse, Joe, whose blue eye is my avatar lost over 200 pounds one fall. His ribs were showing, hip bone stuck out, I was getting frantic. I wormed him, he still lost weight. Finally I saw him standing under a huge white oak tree, waiting on the next acorn to fall. He would hear the thump and go snuffling on the ground until he found it. There were plenty of oak trees on that property, so keeping him away from that one tree would have had no effect. It was just his favorite tree. 

Feel free to offer advice or criticism any time you see me going down the wrong road or see a better way for me to do things. I don't wear my feelings on my shirt sleeve and don't get angry if someone has a different opinion. How else are we to learn if we do not share our own experiences and wisdom-often gained by our own mistakes and loss.


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## Coolbreeze89

My pigs RACE out of their overnight pen to eat the acorns that fall each night around our property (most trees are post oak). It’s quite funny to see the girls hustle like that! Maybe a couple Kunekunes could help you out with your acorn problem.  Great temperament, minimal rooting, and they get along with other animals.  They take longer to mature, but I’m told they’re quite tasty. Many people feed only forage in the summer, and they’re pretty gentle on pasture.


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## Baymule

Si far, I have raised Large Black/Berkshire feeder pigs, Red Wattle and Hereford hogs. All were rather rough on the terrain and no way I would have let them out to go foraging. I looked into Kune Kunes, but they were pretty pricey at the time. Come spring I'll be buying 2-3 feeder pigs.


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## WolfeMomma

Baymule said:


> Si far, I have raised Large Black/Berkshire feeder pigs, Red Wattle and Hereford hogs. All were rather rough on the terrain and no way I would have let them out to go foraging. I looked into Kune Kunes, but they were pretty pricey at the time. Come spring I'll be buying 2-3 feeder pigs.


We thought about getting some feeder pigs this spring too. We love pork. We rolled around the idea of an american guinea hog, but they take to long to mature. So i think we are just going to go with the big commercial ones that mature quick so we dont have to dump a lot of grain in to them over an extended period of time.


----------



## Baymule

WolfeMomma said:


> We thought about getting some feeder pigs this spring too. We love pork. We rolled around the idea of an american guinea hog, but they take to long to mature. So i think we are just going to go with the big commercial ones that mature quick so we dont have to dump a lot of grain in to them over an extended period of time.


Heritage breeds put more fat on, have better marbling in the meat and it just tastes better than the "commercial" breeds. The modern commercial breeds are bred to grow fast with less fat, to me the meat is dry. The heritage breeds may take a couple of months longer, but to me, they are well worth it. By all means, raise a couple of pigs, home grown meat is the best. Book your slaughter date well in advance, waiting until the last minute or even month or two, will ensure that you get to feed them for a much longer time!

In this thread is how I built my Pig Palace. Love it!





__





						Baymule’s Pigs 2018 HEREFORDS!
					

I found 2 Hereford boars 4 1/2 months old on Craigslist. We went and got them today. I have long admired Hereford Hogs and am delighted to find these! As usual, I have no hog pen ready and won’t be putting them in the pasture we sprigged with Bermuda and Bahia. So I guess we better get busy...



					www.backyardherds.com


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## frustratedearthmother

WolfeMomma said:


> We rolled around the idea of an american guinea hog, but they take to long to mature.


The beauty of the American Guinea Hog is that if you have the time they will grow out on pasture.


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## Mini Horses

My AGHs were grown with a LOT of veggies.  At the time I had access to large amounts of "close dated" from a distributor that couldn't be sold.   But, they WILL work on a psture to get roots & grubs.  Friendly as they were, just didn't want my pastures replowed.   It took about 12-14 months for them to reach mature weight but I was really pleased with the tasty meat and beautiful lard I rendered from it.    May do another in the future but, not now.  Don't want to deal with them until I stop working more  (retire???)  LOL   Both were boars, had been breeding and no issue with meat taint AT ALL.

However, I have made contact this a person who does raise pigs in a way I would and may consider just buying one ready to butcher.   You know, you can't do everything!


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## WolfeMomma

frustratedearthmother said:


> The beauty of the American Guinea Hog is that if you have the time they will grow out on pasture.


we are really not pig people. So ideally we would like to make it a quick experience. We have raised the commercial ones before, and it was a great experience minus the grain cost. They grew fast and tasted great. I have never had such big pork chops in my life lol we used the fat from them to add to our ground deer, worked out really well.  I do see the benefits of raising American Guinea hogs, its just not for us i dont think. I am willing to look at heritage pigs depending on their growth rates.


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## frustratedearthmother

WolfeMomma said:


> I do see the benefits of raising American Guinea hogs, its just not for us i dont think. I am willing to look at heritage pigs depending on their growth rates.



I do enjoy mine but realize they're not for everybody.   We've bought feeder pigs and had Hampshires, Durocs and crosses.  They do grow quickly and we enjoyed them immensely.


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## Baymule

Domino greeted me this morning with a very spotted black and white ewe lamb. Sentry is in the lot now, checking everything out. Isn’t she beautiful?  
Pictures won’t load!


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## Baymule




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## Baymule




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## Baymule

I put all the dogs on pasture 1. Her pattern reminds me of a black and white checkered tile floor. I’m thinking the name Checkers.


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## frustratedearthmother

Ahhhhh - she is a real cutie!  Congrats!


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## Baymule

This is Domino’s second lamb. Domino is the daughter of Ewenique, one of my first ewes and is the only daughter I have from Ewenique. Ewenique always twins, has tons of milk and is an excellent mother. Kinda bummed out that Domino has singled again. If Checkers makes the cut, we’ll see if she singles or twins. I’m loving these spotty lambs!


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## Coolbreeze89

Baymule said:


> View attachment 68238


Gorgeous!


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## Xerocles

Why don't you name her Armstrong? Aren't they the premier makers of floor tiles? 
She's a doll baby. Hope she grows up to give you twins every time. She's almost as cute as a goat kid!


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## thistlebloom

She's beautiful! You could spell her name Chequers, for a little upper crust twist 😋.
Chequers is the name of the Prime Ministers estate.


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## Beekissed

Very beautiful lamb, Bay!!!  LOVE the black and white sheep....they tend to draw the eye.


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## WolfeMomma

She is so pretty! Love how colorful all of your sheep are! I love the name you picked


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## Duckfarmerpa1

Yes... I had to keep looking because I’ve never seen sheep that pretty.  The black and white is awesome..I missed the breed somewhere in the thread..what are they?  Congratulations on them?  What perfect timing too!!  I love the names!  Keep up the pictures!


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## Mini Horses

Another beauty!!  She kinda reminds me of a Holstein -- the coloring.

I hope she turns out well because "she's a keeper" cutie.


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## Baymule

Duckfarmerpa1 said:


> Yes... I had to keep looking because I’ve never seen sheep that pretty.  The black and white is awesome..I missed the breed somewhere in the thread..what are they?  Congratulations on them?  What perfect timing too!!  I love the names!  Keep up the pictures!


I started with 3 Dorper/Katahdin mixed and 1 Katahdin ewes 5 years ago. They were bred to a Katahdin ram. I only kept one from that lambing, from the Katahdin ewe. I bought what turned out to be a poor quality Dorper ram and bred him to my ewes. I now have Ringo, a registered Katahdin ram, who is putting his mark of quality on his lambs. I will eventually move to better quality ewes, I'll keep the best of what I have for a commercial flock, and add a few registered Katahdin ewes. The spottiest lamb this year is Aria, who comes from a grade, unregistered Katahdin ewe and Ringo. The black and white spotting comes from black head Dorpers.


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## Sheepshape

They are lovely sheep. Spotty breeds always have the 'wow' factor for me. I love the Valais Black Nose but they cost a fortune over here.

Now all this talk of pretty is upsetting one of my rams. HE thinks he is very pretty.




 Luckily you can't see his facial side-profile with his huge nasal bump....but he's a good example of a Blue Faced Leicester.

This is my favoured breed of local sheep, the Beulah Speckle faced.





or



The grey muzzle on the old girl with triplets in the last pic is not typical.......she's just gone grey with age!

The big ugly boy in the top pic weighs about 18st, is very sweet-natured, and a total wimp (wants to come indoors every time there's a drop of rain). The smaller Beulahs are as tough as old boots and can cope with our unpleasant weather.


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## Mini Horses

As always, lovely sheep!!  The ole gal is doing a good job for you.

All my dairy goats are "wimps" --  if you can smell rain, they are running to a barn!  It's a huge joke with goat people...rain & goats. LOL


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## Baymule

@Sheepshape i think your Blue Faced Leicester is lovely and I even like the side view of their faces. Your Beulah Speckled face Sheep bring a smile to my face. Contrasting against your lush green pastures, they are picture perfect. Tell them Baymule thinks they all are beautiful!


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## farmerjan

I am not totally familiar with the different breeds that are "across the pond";  but aren't the Leicesters known for their very fine wool?  Maybe I have that backwards and it is another breed.  I have seen some of the Lincoln Longwools that are at some of the heritage farms, but I thought there were some Leicester sheep also.  They are a taller breed aren't they?  Wool here is just not worth much, and it costs more to get the sheep shorn than what you get for the wool.  That was one reason we went from horned Dorsets to the White Texas Dall sheep.  We liked the horns on them.  There is a bit of a market for the rams, which is why we raise them, to sell to hunting preserves.  The markets have been soft the past few years, and unless the rams have exceptional horns as young ones, have been marketing the lambs at the different ethnic holidays.  
I loved the horns and the bodies of the Dorsets.  They were good mothers, and had very good dispositions.  The Dall's are a hair breed, no shearing, but are semi-wild and not cuddly.  Unless you raise a bottle lamb.  They are very susceptible to worms in this area.  Sometimes I wonder if they are worth it.  It seems that the worm problems are worse the past few years, and with all the wet we have had, it has been a constant battle.


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## Sheepshape

farmerjan said:


> I am not totally familiar with the different breeds that are "across the pond"; but aren't the Leicesters known for their very fine wool?


Leicesters have a very thin, curly. lustrous coat of fine wool which is prized by spinners. However, as they have such fine 'coats' they cannot stand the cold and shiver as soon as a bit of breeze catches them. They are very tall, long, and big-boned, so are considered as good sheep for mule breeding. They have a large bump on the nose which gives them a very sonorous bleat. Crossed with  Beulahs they produce a taller, heavier, woolier sheep which is often further crossed with a terminal sire  of the big-bummed continental type (like a Texel)_ to produce a tall , stocky, muscular sheep.
Wool prices are generally very poor over here too with shearing prices about the same as the wool price. However, our sheep need their thick coats to cope with the winter.
The native Beulah is an excellent mother, developed locally and is very at home with our climate.


Mini Horses said:


> As always, lovely sheep!! The ole gal is doing a good job for you.


She was a real trooper who birthed unaided and suckled all three (I did keep her in and around the sheep shed and give her lots of supplemental food until the lambs were taking solids.). She is still with us now.


Baymule said:


> Contrasting against your lush green pastures, they are picture perfect.


You are too kind, Bay!
Our lovely green is now Mud Central due to weeks of heavy rain. This seems to be the pattern for December over here now. Spring seems such a long time off. 
Here's hoping you all have a lovely and peaceful Christmas and New Year.


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## thistlebloom

I like big roman nosed sheep! But I'm partial to Nubian goats too, love those profiles! My dh has a big schnozz too now that I think of it... 🤣


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## Sheepshape

thistlebloom said:


> I like big roman nosed sheep! But I'm partial to Nubian goats too, love those profiles! My dh has a big schnozz too now that I think of it... 🤣


Ha Ha ....me too.Do you like Damascus goats as well as Nubians? Now, in parts of the Middle East  the Damascus goat is considered beautiful. Easy to see why, in my eyes. Nothing wrong with big hooters, or, in the case of the Damascus, kinda NO hooter. Nice to have some variation. Amongst my flock being rather ugly, a bit deformed etc almost guarantees you a place to stay (and join my 'retired' sub-flock).
That Blue faced Leicester was named 'Marshmallow' by a class of 8-year  old school kids. In order to preserve his dignity I shortened it to Marshall. The ladies think he is 'the bee's knees' and he is inclined to agree with them. 
Marshall has done his 'stud duties' for the year and is now back in his field with his friend Dexter.




Dexter also thinks he is 'The Man'.


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## thistlebloom

Is that Dexter or Marshall? I think he's quite masculinely handsome. I can see ewes swooning for him.

The Damascus goats are just a bit extreme, (and a few of the images I pulled up were rather alarming), but the ones that just looked like Jimmy Durante Nubians with ears on steroids I kinda liked!


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## Sheepshape

thistlebloom said:


> Is that Dexter or Marshall?


Dexter is the Beulah in the post above yours and Marshall is the Blue Faced Leicester in the earlier pic. with the pics. of ewes with lambs.

That picture of Dexter was taken a bit back and he has now grown a 'bib' of long hair from his neck to his chest.....happens in the breeding season, and he has put on some pounds. So, not only is he 'beefier', he is wearing his tuxedo for the ladies. The girls do love him.....he had little circles of ewes around him every morning when he first went in to 'see' them. The girls are a bit fickle, though. The next morning, they didn't even want to know him 😃.

Nubians look so silly when they are trotting along with their huge ears dancing. There's a lovely YouTube video of two goats trotting side by side set to various bits of music, including 'Stayin' Alive' by the BeeGees....very funny.


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## Sheepshape

Bee Gees - Stayin’ Alive - Goats dancing style


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## Ridgetop

Pretty lamb, *BAY, *so glad you have another keeper ewe.  I really love the colors on your Katahdins.  The colors could lure me from my White Dorpers possibly, but I _love_ the amount of meat on the WDs I have.  Yum Yum! 

Katahdins seem much more prevalent in the eastern half of the states.  Fewer of them out here in the west, whereas we have a lot of Dorpers.  Maybe Dorpers are better in drier areas while Katahdins do better in wetter areas?  Parasite resistance and foot rot resistance in Katahdins vs heat and drought resistance in Dorpers?   Katahdins were developed in the northeastern US, while Dorpers originated in South Africa.  Big difference in climate and forage type.  They say Dorpers can survive on sand and rocks - that is the type of landscape for which they were developed.  However, Bay has reported Dorper problems with foot rot and parasites in wetter east Texas, while her Katahdin hooves seem to hold up better.


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## Baymule

Ewenique is due anytime between now and whenever. Ewe code applies. She is waddling huge. Look closely on her left side, baby bump, one of her lambs is stretching. She comes to me for belly rubs, I can see her relax and sigh.... aahhhh....... LOL 






Full udder, her ligs are soft and a storm is coming tomorrow night with up to 80 mph winds, 3” of rain and tornadoes. Sounds like twins on the way to me! 





I always post pictures of Miranda Lambert when she is in ewe code. She gets huge, her udder looks like a cow udder and goaties oooh and aahhh over her bulging udder. So this is a picture of Miranda NOT pregnant. She has a big belly anyway. I call it a good spring of the ribs—lots of room for babies. 





She is currently nursing 3 month old twins and still has a big udder. 





I love my girls!


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## B&B Happy goats

I can see why you love your girls    .....be safe during your storm my twisted sister


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## Baymule

Ewenique had a single lamb early this morning. A ram lamb, I really wanted a ewe lamb!


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## thistlebloom

He's colorful! I like him. Sorry Ewenique and Ringo ignored you. Maybe you need to get that order in earlier.


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## Baymule

Ewenique almost always has boys! I have only one daughter from her!


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## farmerjan

Maybe she is expecting you to keep a ram lamb for a herd sire so she is trying to produce one that you just can't make into a meal???


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## Ridgetop

While she doesn't produce ewes, you can always depend on her to produce butcher lambs for hay money!  Maybe she is just thinking of doing her part to pay expenses on the home place.  

She will eventually give you another ewe lamb.  Did you breed her daughter this year?  Did her daughter produce ewe lambs?  Some ewes and rams seem to produce lots of one sex.


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## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> While she doesn't produce ewes, you can always depend on her to produce butcher lambs for hay money!  Maybe she is just thinking of doing her part to pay expenses on the home place.
> 
> She will eventually give you another ewe lamb.  Did you breed her daughter this year?  Did her daughter produce ewe lambs?  Some ewes and rams seem to produce lots of one sex.



Her one and only daughter had her second lambing, a single ewe. I named her Checkers, back up a couple of pages and you’ll see her.


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## Baymule

I have two holdouts, Lady Baa Baa and Scottie. Lady Baa Baa is 47 days past due. Obviously when I saw her get bred, it did not take. That must have made Ringo very happy as he got to breed her again. She is pregnant, starting to get big, has a tiny bag--not time yet. She looks at me with that "look" that plainly says she is fat and miserable. 

 Scottie is 20 days past due. Her vulva is swollen, she is bagging up and comes to me for tummy rubs. Ringo bred her when she was standing right next to me--twice. 

Since I put them with Ringo later than the other ewes, I left them with him until a month or so ago, so he would have company.


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## Mike CHS

My wild girl was the first one that I saw bred last year and she wound up being the last to lamb (by quite a bit) so I'm pretty sure she aborted then conceived again.


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## Baymule

I just had a feeling come over me that I need to check on Scottie. It’s a girl.


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## Baymule

I love the red and white spotting, but it fades away.


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## Baymule

Today I pulled some beautiful grass from the garden. Chickens, pigs and sheep enjoyed the grass. For Ringo, I held his bunches of grass so he could eat the grass easier. Reckon he is spoiled just a little bit?


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## Mike CHS

I think he was born to be spoiled since every place he has lived treated him like you do.   That is every place except his first as I imagine that wasn't pleasant.


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## Baymule

I sat in a chair, handing him bunches of grass and just enjoying the moment.


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## Baymule

Our 3 year old granddaughter named the new lamb. Her name is Cherry. Why? I have no idea, that’s what the Boss said. LOL


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## Mike CHS

Another cutey!


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## bethh

Baymule said:


> Our 3 year old granddaughter named the new lamb. Her name is Cherry. Why? I have no idea, that’s what the Boss said. LOL
> 
> View attachment 71979


So cute,  our 5yo grandson named a chick he hatched Kylo Ren, a character from Star Wars.   The 4yo named one Batman, my poor hens, hopefully.


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## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> Our 3 year old granddaughter named the new lamb. Her name is Cherry. Why? I have no idea, that’s what the Boss said. LOL
> 
> View attachment 71979



 Bay, you got off easy....Cherry is a lovely name for a sweet little ewe.   Aliza named "her" ram lamb "Sweety Blossom" yesterday.     He's anything but sweet, but that's what she insisted on calling him.   She named our male kitten Ruffles, so I guess this lamb was lucky in a way.  

She tends to get her gender appropriate names confused.


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## bethh

Beekissed said:


> Bay, you got off easy....Cherry is a lovely name for a sweet little ewe.   Aliza named "her" ram lamb "Sweety Blossom" yesterday.     He's anything but sweet, but that's what she insisted on calling him.   She named our male kitten Ruffles, so I guess this lamb was lucky in a way.
> 
> She tends to get her gender appropriate names confused.


We have a granddaughter named Charlie, not short for Charlotte or anything.  It’s a great name but when they first chose her name I was like 🤦‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️


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## Beekissed

bethh said:


> We have a granddaughter named Charlie, not short for Charlotte or anything.  It’s a great name but when they first chose her name I was like 🤦‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️



I would be too.   Got a little one coming at the end of the month that is going to carry around the heavy burden of Archer Justice.     Poor kid!  And they said I can't give him a nickname at all....we'll see about that.


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## B&B Happy goats

Beekissed said:


> I would be too.   Got a little one coming at the end of the month that is going to carry around the heavy burden of Archer Justice.     Poor kid!  And they said I can't give him a nickname at all....we'll see about that.


A.J. sounds like a great nickname


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## Baymule

Beekissed said:


> I would be too.   Got a little one coming at the end of the month that is going to carry around the heavy burden of Archer Justice.     Poor kid!  And they said I can't give him a nickname at all....we'll see about that.


Archer Justice? WTH! Archer by itself is actually a cool name. Archer Justice brings to mind a Robin Hood type with a redneck twist. LOL LOL


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## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> Archer Justice? WTH! Archer by itself is actually a cool name. Archer Justice brings to mind a Robin Hood type with a redneck twist. LOL LOL



You "mailed it"(as Aliza would say), Bay!     My son is an avid bowhunter and he's obsessed with Robin Hood this year...has watched all the movies and read a couple of versions of the story as well.   Yeah...he's a big kid.  

You called it exactly....Robin Hood with a redneck twist is exactly what Joel was going for and he'd love to hear that description.   I'll have to tell him about that.


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## Baymule

Oh my goodness! How did I know that!


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