# 2021, Waiting on lambs!



## secuono

*2020 Autumn Breeding Groups for the 2021 Lambing Season!

Breeding season starts October 15th!*
Possible due dates starting from March 1st, 2021.

¤There will be 5 breeding groups.
¤Many ewelings will be kept back.
¤Fewer lambs will be available, both solid & spotted.
¤Waiting list is full.
¤Spotted lambs are available only as first deposit, first served, after posting on my website.
¤Expecting roughly 26-32 purebred lambs & about 1-2 mutt lambs.
¤Cleanup ram is Magnemite.

_The following sheep will not participate in breeding this year; 
Billy, Michaelis, Tatiana, Kibito, Seadra, Eevee, Articuno, Raichu, Clefairy, Kakuna & Lapras.


*Breeding Groups-*

*Apostle-*_ OEBSR & BSSBA. Codon QQ. Spotted.
_Juliana- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. Expecting singles. Black. Potential carrier, potentially spotted lambs.
_Addie- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. Expecting twins. Black. Potential carrier lambs.
_Majin- _BFL/Cheviot/Babydoll mutt lambs.

*Oreo- *OEBSR & BSSBA. Codon QR. Spotted.
_Eloise- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR/RR. Expecting singles. Black. Potential carrier lambs.
_Yamcha- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring codon will be QR. Black w/head spot. Expecting singles. Black. Potential carrier lambs.
_Shelly- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. White, has birthed a head spot. Expecting singles. Carrier, potential spotted.

*Magnemite- *OEBSR & BSSBA, spotted, codon QR.
_Lucia- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring codon will be QR/RR. Expecting singles. Black, possible spotted carrier.
_Patchie- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. Has birthed a head spot. Expecting twins. Black, potentially spotted lambs.
_Latte- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring codon will be QR. Expecting singles. Black. Carrier. Potentially spotted lambs.
_Icarus- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. Expecting singles. Birthed black w/head spot. Black. Potential carrier lambs.

*Krillin- *NABSSAR & OEBSR. Codon RR. Black w/head spot, potential carrier.
_Fossa- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. Expecting singles. Black.
_Lucy- _OEBSR & BSSBA. Codon QR. Spotted. Expecting twins. Potential carrier or spotted lambs.
_Piccolo- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. White. Expecting singles.
_Periwinkle- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. Black. Expecting twins.
_Evangeline- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Codon RR. Expecting singles. White.
_Saola- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Codon RR. Expecting singles. Black.

*Sebastian- *NABSSAR & OEBSR. Codon RR. White.
_Ewenique- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. White. Expecting twins.
_Vanilla- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. White, has birthed a head spot. Expecting twins. Spotted carrier.
_Bayley- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon RR. White. Expecting twins.
_Sugar- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Offspring will be codon QR. White. Expecting twins.
_Hirola- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Codon QR/RR. Expecting singles. White.
_Willow- _OEBSR & NABSSAR. Codon RR. Expecting singles. White.


I'll come back to triple check & edit to add those who've been accepted into BSSBA.


Couldn't get this forum to attach a text file, so pictures of it instead. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Forever Farms' Info Sheet

_Please make sure you understand this before contacting me about lambs. Contact me if you don't understand something.
Thanks!



_


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## animalmom

I'm in!  I get such a kick out of seeing your sheep and don't want to miss a single post or picture.


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## Kusanar

22 ewes... could be over 40 lambs! Wow... You are going to be busy!


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Headshots for BSSBA of the 25 ewes not in it yet. Rams are next.


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Okay, I think Oreo & Apostle are already in BSSBA,  but took Oreo's pic just in case.



Ewes




I feel like I already have Magnemite's pic, but I'll check later.



Edit
Apparently, Apostle lost his tag, so I need to send in his OEBSR CoR to be updated. Then I can send in his info to join BSSBA. 
Also, Magnemite pic.


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## messybun

Oh my gosh they’re so fluffy I just want to hug them!!!!!


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## secuono

🤦🏽‍♀️
Apparently, I never sent in Articuno's NABSSAR & OEBSR registration forms, so I'm doing that today...


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> 🤦🏽‍♀️
> Apparently, I never sent in Articuno's NABSSAR & OEBSR registration forms, so I'm doing that today...


I don't know how you keep up as well as you do with that many of the little suckers.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I don't know how you keep up as well as you do with that many of the little suckers.



And soon to be across THREE registries....


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> And soon to be across THREE registries....


I guess make a list of what every registry needs, then go get it all at once from each and then discard whatever isn't needed if they aren't going to be triple registered?


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I guess make a list of what every registry needs, then go get it all at once from each and then discard whatever isn't needed if they aren't going to be triple registered?



It all depends on what the buyer wants.


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## secuono

Ewenique, Piccolo & Articuno, three generations. Getting more cute each time.


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## secuono

Updated the first post a bit.

Tomorrow is the start of breeding season!

Forgot to update the official chart, so I did it roughly. Need to clean it up & repost it.
Update, final chart-





And here's the layout. Again, we have the ramling between mature rams. Ramlings don't fight through the fence, and usually, yearlings also don't bother to argue. But after two, definitely after three, they start to get sensitive about sharing fencelines.
Anywho, Billy & Michaelis are sitting this round out. White runt ramling will also be with them in the backyard/barnyard. They'll get to go into paddock #1 later on.
I'll probably allow Krillin & his ewes into both paddock #5 & #6.

I'd prefer only 3 or 4 rams, since then there would be a paddock between them. But that won't happen for another couple of years, if not longer.


Anyhoot!
I can't wait to move around these blobs of sheep! Lol.
9 get to stay put until spring.
22 are getting split up to meet their BFs.

Yes, Eevee is back in her bin. She's always in there!!




I have plastic cage labels, that I recently dug up, that I'll hang on the paddock gates. They were bought for rabbit cage IDs, but I quit them before using them. Glad I hoarded them, lol.

I'll update tomorrow.

Edit
Another day, another sit in _her_ bin.


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## Ridgetop

You never know what equipment/materials be reused for other species!  LOL  I just pack everything into boxes, label exactly what is in them, and put them in the milk shed.  Family always is asking me what I did with something so I just run down  to the milk shed (actually stagger down on my bad knee) and retrieve stuff.


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Split the non-breeding ewes from the breeding ewes.


...I can't find those cage tags 🤦🏽‍♀️


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2:40 until 5pm, but finally got them separated. 













Edited
Update!
Found the cards!
Supposedly, you could use a special spray to remove ink to reuse. IDK where I put that, obviously...lol

Found my whiteboard markers & wrote on both sides, then left it outside overnight. It's supposed to rain, so, we will see if rain will wash them or not. I'd like to use the special marker to write who all is in the paddock.
Clearly, based on the pic, I lost the spray long ago...🤦🏽‍♀
Text on card is of- This was my large, perfectly silvered, pedigreed, blue SF doe that a 🤬 raccoon killed...


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## Ridgetop

I was going to tell you that the tags were in a special spot where you stored them to be safe.  That is where the special ink remover and ink is now.  LOL  Try alcohol (or oil) to remove the ink.  If worse comes to worst, repaint them with plastic covering spray paint.  You might only be able to use the tags once after that but better than having to throw them away.  And you can always keep painting them between uses.


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## Kusanar

Ridgetop said:


> I was going to tell you that the tags were in a special spot where you stored them to be safe.  That is where the special ink remover and ink is now.  LOL  Try alcohol (or oil) to remove the ink.  If worse comes to worst, repaint them with plastic covering spray paint.  You might only be able to use the tags once after that but better than having to throw them away.  And you can always keep painting them between uses.


Or... Chalkboard paint and use the chalk pens. Chalk pens don't wipe off and take a little effort to remove when wet so should handle being outdoors but they do come off with a little work.


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## secuono

Nail polish remover, alcohol, just blurred it.
=/ Darn



I found like new cage wire clippers from when I built their cages. And 4 electric fence handles, nails, too...but nothing related to the cards.


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Nail polish remover, alcohol, just blurred it.
> =/ Darn
> View attachment 78234
> 
> I found like new cage wire clippers from when I built their cages. And 4 electric fence handles, nails, too...but nothing related to the cards.


It looks like you might have used silver sharpie? 

In my googling, it looks like those cards can be written on with sharpie and then wiped off with the special sponge or the graffiti remover. 

Looks like acetone is recommended but that would be the nail polish remover, you tried alcohol... do you by chance have a magic eraser? Those are also apparently good at removing sharpie from things....


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## Ridgetop

If they are plastic, you can spray paint them with the paint the says okay for painting plastic chairs, etc.  One can of white spray paint is probably cheaper and easier than buying a bunch of stuff, trying it, and having it not work.  Not sure what you are using the cage tags for.  Are they going on the pens where the different breeding groups are?  I keep track of mine on a large white board that I hung behind the office door.  Out of the way, but easy for me to see from my desk when working on sheep records.  Different colored whiteboard pens and different columns are used for different sires.  Since I can tell who is in each pen by ear tags when I am outside it works.  I have only 15 breeding ewes with 3 rams this year though - you have more ewes and are using a system for color selection genetics.  On the other hand, I am breeding for lambing every 8-9 months so same ewe often lambs twice in a year.  Tricky!  LOL


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> It looks like you might have used silver sharpie?
> 
> In my googling, it looks like those cards can be written on with sharpie and then wiped off with the special sponge or the graffiti remover.
> 
> Looks like acetone is recommended but that would be the nail polish remover, you tried alcohol... do you by chance have a magic eraser? Those are also apparently good at removing sharpie from things....



OMG, I love you! 😁
I had one of those sponges stowed away in a cabinet. 
It works!!


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> OMG, I love you! 😁 I had one of those sponges stowed away in a cabinet. It works!! View attachment 78239
> Glad I could help!


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## Ridgetop

Do you mean the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers?  I love those and never thought of them!  So glad to know you can use them to remove ink from plastic!!!  

Thanks Kusanar!  I never thought of using one of them on magic marker!


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## secuono

Ridgetop said:


> Do you mean the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers?  I love those and never thought of them!  So glad to know you can use them to remove ink from plastic!!!
> 
> Thanks Kusanar!  I never thought of using one of them on magic marker!



Yes!


I also found out that dry eraser markers, from the test card, stain and the stain does not come off. 🤦🏽‍♀️


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> I also found out that dry eraser markers, from the test card, stain and the stain does not come off. 🤦🏽‍♀️


One thing I found from having a really old white board at my old farm, is that if you have something dry erase does not come off of well, a heavy coat of pledge before writing will keep the marker from soaking into the surface. I put each horses feed mix on the board and it wouldn't erase easily, so I got some white board cleaning spray and used that, it stripped it, but it did the same thing again next time, so I just stripped it, put a heavy coat of pledge on, and then re-marked once a year or so, in between, I could gently wipe the writing off and re-pledge that spot to correct things. Not the most efficient but it worked and I didn't have to buy another 4' whiteboard.


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## secuono

Alright, I've decided...I'm going to sell Billy. But not until winter 2021/spring 2022. Going to give him a large group of ewes & then offer him up. Just doesn't make sense to keep him for no reason.

Codon RR, DOB April 3rd, 2014, 24" tall, twin born, greyed out black, longer wool, OEBSR & NABSSAR registered, soon to be BSSBA registered as well. Super well mannered ram, even when with the ladies.


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## secuono

4 of 5 paddocks are nearly out of green, so grass pellet feeding has started.
25 days left for breeding to happen!

Editing, 
I forgot that I had started the season on the 15th instead of the usual 1st. So the season will continue until December 10th.  😅 sorries


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> 4 of 5 paddocks are nearly out of green, so grass pellet feeding has started.


I saw somewhere that ruminants and hay pellets don't mix well. You haven't seen that as an issue? I was thinking about when I get my sheep feeding them free choice with the normal mixed grass hay I have for the horses but then supplementing heavily pregnant or lactating ewes with a hay pellet for a bit better quality hay source but then I saw that info and was wondering if that was a good idea, but you are feeding hay pellets so... lol, too much conflicting info


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I saw somewhere that ruminants and hay pellets don't mix well. You haven't seen that as an issue? I was thinking about when I get my sheep feeding them free choice with the normal mixed grass hay I have for the horses but then supplementing heavily pregnant or lactating ewes with a hay pellet for a bit better quality hay source but then I saw that info and was wondering if that was a good idea, but you are feeding hay pellets so... lol, too much conflicting info




I haven't come across that info before. It's the first time I'll be feeding the grass pellets heavily w/o much loose hay, so idk how it will go.


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> I haven't come across that info before. It's the first time I'll be feeding the grass pellets heavily w/o much loose hay, so idk how it will go.


It was something about the lack of fiber in the pellets causing issues with the rumen. I still think if it is a supplement to hay it would likely be ok because the long stem hay would give them the fiber, but I don't know for sure. 

I just found this: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/alfalfa-pellets-vs-cubes-and-hay/ that talks about it a little bit but based around goats.


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## secuono

🎉 30 more sheep are now also in BSSBA! 🎉

Total Count
4 rams in OEBSR, NABSSAR & BSSBA.
2 rams in OEBSR & BSSBA.
24 ewes in OEBSR, NABSSAR & BSSBA.
2 ewes in OEBSR & BSSBA.

2 were already in BSSBA & there's 1 ram to add after his OEBSR tag update comes in.


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## secuono

Updated the website.


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## secuono

🤔
I think, instead of making shelters & protected hay feeders n such for each paddock, I should buy panels and use the barn!
Still need to make a couple shelters w/hay, for the far pens, but rest could use the barn pretty easily.
Far side has 4 beams, other has one wall & 3 beams, so that one would be just 3 pens possible.
I'd need to actually use the aisle, which means clearing out the barn and the closed, raised room. Now that I have a tractor, I can put in 2 bales at a time to peel n feed. Use metal cans to store feed.
The panels splitting the barn & leading out need to be removable & hopefully long enough to not need posts in the ground to keep them up. Can't use the mesh panels, rams will destroy them, so I'm thinking custom 3ft, 4-5 bar panels. 🤔 Probably an expensive upgrade to the barn.
I'll need to remove the wood pallet mini walls & make one retaining wall.

I'll draw it up n look for panels n pricing. I'd guess it won't happen until next year or later.


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## secuono

Okay, found panels that I like, but freight may be a ton...

If anyone wants to split an order with me & you can pickup at my place, lemmie know. I have 10 months before I have to order them & install. 

Why one long 20 foot section instead of two or 3? Because one only needs securing at the two end points! I don't want any tposts in the way the rest of the year. 

5× 20' long, 7 horizontal bars, 37" tall.
6× 8' long, 7 horizontal bars, 37" tall.

Here's a rough idea of what I'm after.


So, just the bottom paddock will need a shelter built with hay & pellet area. Rest will be able to connect to the barn, where hay & pellet feeders will be inside.
The fence made of feedlot panels will need to move inwards about 3-4ft to meet the 20ft panels.
I'll probably move in the feedlot panels at left & top inwards as well, since I don't need that much space doing nada most of the time.

I can reuse these panels later for work shoots! Would be nice to have them all lined up & ready for shearing or vaccines & hoof trimming. I'd just need to either get tiny gates to swing/divide sheep in the shoot or angle the 8ft gates in a way where they'll stop sheep. 🤔 This will be trial n error. Rather not buy fancy gates, using cut goat panels may work best, now that I'm thinking about it...

The last two on the bottom left in the barn, they can be left open or split incase a sheep needs isolation for some reason.


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I'd guess itll be 2k for these special panels delivered, if not more.

Rural king is great, a windy hour drive, but cheaper...

But they don't have 20ft, just 18ft. Hmm...
1k for them. 

Do I wait & hope 20ft is offered at my store or get 18ft? I'll call them & see how often they're in stock.


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## secuono

They have a sale for the gates right now, $160 cheaper. But I was trying to figure out how to get them home...🤔

Would need to rent a trailer just to get the long panels home, so I'm looking at alternatives again.

The 4×4 inch goat panels are 4ft×16ft, $55.
If cut in half to be 8ft barn dividers, it's more than 50% cheaper than a bar gate. Much lighter & lamb safe, too.

For the outside span of panels, I could put a tpost at the center of either end of the rows and string a wire at top & bottom to keep them secure from moving around. Then I'd only have the one tpost to remove every year. Or get anchors with a ring at top to clip the bases of the panels to.
Its still not long enough at 16ft, but I could cut a spare panel to attach to the ends to reach the paddock walls.

10× goat panels
Have a few spare tposts laying around.

So, went from $2,272 custom delivered, to 1k gates, to $840 sale gates, to about $550 goat panels.

Guess with that amount of savings, I can't complain about tposts!


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## secuono

Somehow posted this to the LGD thread. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Ended breeding season today with just 2 cycles instead of 4 & there will not be a cleanup ram this year.
Trying to keep the 2020 lambs & select non-babydolls open, to grow or see what their wool does. Tatiana blows her coat after lambing, making it a mess, at least that is what I'm strongly suspecting. And I need Kibito to fill out already! Ugh.

Spring 2021, most ewelings will be kept, only the best spotted rams will be up for grabs, if any.
Sebastian will move to PA. Krillin is available, if anyone wants to buy him. I may or may not use him if he doesn't sell.
Billy & Michaelis will get lots of ewes.

Spring 2022 will also be a very limited year for ewes.
Billy & Michaelis will be for sale.

Spring 2023 will return to normal.

Hoping to get a replacement for Apostle in 2021 or 2022 & maybe for Billy in 2023.

Really want to stick to no more than 4 breeding rams. Guess I really need more paddocks instead, huh? 🤦🏽‍♀️






My van is 2in too short & 2in too narrow for me to bend & fit the goat panels into it...wow, so close.


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Ewes grazing










Rams chillin


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## secuono

🤔
Thinking of not selling Krillin & putting him with Magnemite & Oreo into a non-breeding paddock.
Then Billy will have about 11 ewes
Michaelis will have about 12 ewes.
Apostle will get 3 ewes. I should sell/replace him quickly, he's small & not a tough sheep physically. He's living with the 2 ramlings because he is bullied easily by the other rams. They're 50+ pounds, if not closer to 70+ vs him.

Then Billy & Michaelis will both sell & I'll have 4 rams to juggle instead of 6.
Oreo is a big guy, thinking that I should give him lots of ewes & move him out after the other two leave.


If the stores hadn't of sold out, I'd have my panels & rolls of fence. Ugh. Need to wait for them to come back in stock, then build real paddock number 8. The current #8 is the barn & backyard, but those shouldn't be used for breeding. Too much movement, storage of hay n such.

I wonder if it'll be possible to make a paddock number 9. One side will be a hillside, while the other will be the bit left over near the arena. I'll have fence cross the pond runoff area in two spots. 🤔 Just need to make sure I can mow up to it with the tractor & probably add gates so I can cut through the area instead of having to go all the way around the mountain.

With the 9 paddocks, I could have 6 rams with each having lots of space/open paddock between the next!

I don't know if I'd want to make more paddocks. If I had to, it'd probably be the next hill by the mudpond. Its quit steep! And I don't think that I'll be able to easily mow it myself much. So I could stuff all the ewes in there for them to quickly gobble it down, then move out. Itd be paddock number 10 and could have 7 breeding groups.


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Found a pic I drew up last year. Altered it a little to reflect current plans.
Not to scale. Need to go find landmarks to match the pic to adjust size.


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Rams
Little guys are separated from the big guys for their safety from the pup & so that they can eat all day w/o worry.


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Here is a Quick Guide to the three registries!
5 charts as images.


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## Kusanar

Wow, I knew those things were small but 18-24"!!! wow


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Wow, I knew those things were small but 18-24"!!! wow


 
Fun, huh?

Hard to find 20" and shorter, though.

I accidentally bought a 20" ram! Other is 24"




I have to get new pics, but the big one on right is a Corriedale, from April, next to adult Babydolls. You can see how easily she reaches 4ft.



Here's Corriedale from January and yearling Babydoll!
Corriedale is now 30" tall! Need to get new pics to share.


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Hung out with some of the ladies today. 🥰


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Kibito's eweling sort of wanted to be friends...




While Majin, still just stares at me...


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## Mini Horses

That is so cool.  The bald faced one was really into it!


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Found a picture of a gate that I used as a divider. Shows what it kinda would of looked like for sheep gates dividing the barn.


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Restarted the Facebook Page. Link below.
Forever Farms FB Page

All available sheep will be individually posted to it.


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## secuono

Put Magnemite out with all the ewes last week. So, non-breeding ewes may end up bred.

Did I not post the name theme here? I can't find it....Trees, no?


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## secuono

secuono said:


> Put Magnemite out with all the ewes last week. So, non-breeding ewes may end up bred.
> 
> Did I not post the name theme here? I can't find it....Trees, no?



Lol, posted it in last year's thread!

Sycamore, Maple, Ash, Birch, Sequoia, Oak, Spruce, Cedar, Banyan, Papaya, Pawpaw, Magnolia, Hickory, Hawthorn, Elm, Fir, Aspen, Sassafras, Neem, Mahogany, Hemlock, Larch, Locust, Pine, Eucalyptus, Baobab, Mimosa, Juniper, Balsa, Holly, Katsura


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Tentatively, shearing will be sometime between February 7-9th!


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Picking up 14× sheep/goat panels!

They had "handy panels" for only 200 for 28×, but the holes were too big & I didn't want to be pulling sheep out of stuck holes...so, paying 600 more for that peace of mind!
The 4x4 will also be tall enough for me to 90° bend the top and bottom 4" to add ridigety.

I need to get them ASAP, because I need a few for shearing day. I'll be handling them alone this year & need to be able to squeeze the ewes as we go & have a safe zone to move the next sheep in. Basically, a double entry type of setup.

Though, 4x4in also is good during lambing.


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## secuono

On our way to Rural King 1.5hrs away, we pass a FarmHomeCenter & decided to stop by to see if they happen to have the panels I need in stock.
Not only did they have just enough...
They were much, much cheaper!!
Saved time, gas & lots of dough! 🥳
TSC $60
RK $55
FHC $40


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## secuono

I need to buy, not one, not two, but 3 culvert pipes! They went up in price & I need them delivered. But saving $200 let's me buy one!
I could get away with using pvc pipe for the other spot, so now I can order two! 
Its for the horse track, but sheep also cross it, that's why I'm posting about it here.
Maybe next week with that purchase. I'll need to buy more gravel, though. So, probably won't be until after lambing season to finish it.


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## secuono

Trying to bend these panels by hand looks to be impossible...🤔 how else to do it...Any ideas??


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Tentatively, shearing will be sometime between February 7-9th!


I believe it was you that was saying that they were probably going to trash fleece due to no market. If it was, I am interested in a fleece if you are open to selling.


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## misfitmorgan

secuono said:


> Trying to bend these panels by hand looks to be impossible...🤔 how else to do it...Any ideas??


I think the only way you could 90 degree a top or bottom edge on those panels would be with a break or press of some sort. Short of that I dont think there is another way. You could use bolt cutters to cut them if they are to tall.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I believe it was you that was saying that they were probably going to trash fleece due to no market. If it was, I am interested in a fleece if you are open to selling.



I'm shearing roughly 3mo early, so fleeces will be shorter. Plus, I just don't want to deal with everything that comes with getting them sold. 
Oh! Itll just be me and the shearer, too. She changed it to hourly, so I'm not going to slow her down and get charged another $100 just to bag fleeces. 

Only 4 will be saved to sell. None coated.

•Corriedale, white. Has lots of tiny bur on the ends, but most has come out. Inside is clean. Somehow, she's caught them while others are more clear of bur. 🤷🏽‍♀️
•BFL/Cheviot/Babydoll, white. 
•Corriedale/Babydoll lamb, white. Only if there's no wool break. 
•BFL/Cheviot, white. Top matted, brushed off. Inside clean. Sold last year with top matted.


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## secuono

misfitmorgan said:


> I think the only way you could 90 degree a top or bottom edge on those panels would be with a break or press of some sort. Short of that I dont think there is another way. You could use bolt cutters to cut them if they are to tall.



The bends add a lot of ridigety and strength to them.

Going to try to put the edge under the tractor bucket & use 2 people + ratchet straps. 
If that fails, I'll keep thinking. Lol


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I believe it was you that was saying that they were probably going to trash fleece due to no market. If it was, I am interested in a fleece if you are open to selling.



I think I still have one or two partly processed fleeces in the house & two raw alpaca fleeces bagged up.


----------



## misfitmorgan

secuono said:


> The bends add a lot of ridigety and strength to them.
> 
> Going to try to put the edge under the tractor bucket & use 2 people + ratchet straps.
> If that fails, I'll keep thinking. Lol



I have panels the animals have bent the top down on......they don't seem any stronger or more rigid


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> I'm shearing roughly 3mo early, so fleeces will be shorter. Plus, I just don't want to deal with everything that comes with getting them sold.
> Oh! It'll just be me and the shearer, too. She changed it to hourly, so I'm not going to slow her down and get charged another $100 just to bag fleeces.





secuono said:


> I think I still have one or two partly processed fleeces in the house & two raw alpaca fleeces bagged up.


If you are interested in selling some feel free to let me know, but I don't want to be a bother if it is easier to just dump them.


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## secuono

misfitmorgan said:


> I have panels the animals have bent the top down on......they don't seem any stronger or more rigid



I'm not letting the horses near them to bend them. So itll be fine.


----------



## misfitmorgan

secuono said:


> I'm not letting the horses near them to bend them. So itll be fine.



   
That's a very good idea!!!
We re-use our panels over and over, so they have been bent by llama's, sheep, goats, and now pigs.....still keeping them in though. Most of the current panels were in use before we got them and are now over 12yrs old. Those panels are sturdy, I mean they hold back and hold up the top half of an 800+lb pig and a 500+lb pig....at the same time!


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> If you are interested in selling some feel free to let me know, but I don't want to be a bother if it is easier to just dump them.



Ones from last year are good to go now. Just need to figure out which they are. 😅

The 4 to be sheared this year will be saved & posted either way. Unless I find out they're junk once off the sheep.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> If you are interested in selling some feel free to let me know, but I don't want to be a bother if it is easier to just dump them.



Okay, these 3 are available-
Make offer on blacks.

1 black, mill processed into roving. Babydoll Southdown 

1 black, carded. Babydoll Southdown 

1 reddish brown alpaca, raw.

Carded-






Mill roving-





Reddish brown- $35


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Okay, these 3 are available-
> Make offer on blacks.
> 
> 1 black, mill processed into roving. Babydoll Southdown
> 
> 1 black, carded. Babydoll Southdown
> 
> 1 reddish brown alpaca, raw.
> 
> Carded-
> View attachment 80539
> 
> 
> Mill roving-
> View attachment 80540
> 
> 
> Reddish brown- $35
> View attachment 80541


Do you know rough weights? I'm not experienced enough yet to eyeball it.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Do you know rough weights? I'm not experienced enough yet to eyeball it.



@Kusanar 
Carded is just shy of 1.5 pounds.






Mill roving is just shy of 2 pounds.


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> @Kusanar
> Carded is just shy of 1.5 pounds.
> View attachment 80547View attachment 80548
> 
> Mill roving is just shy of 2 pounds.
> View attachment 80549


Does 55 for both seem fair? That's almost $16 per pound. 

90 for all 3?


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Does 55 for both seem fair? That's almost $16 per pound.
> 
> 90 for all 3?



PM me zip code to get you a shipping quote.


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## secuono

Tatiana wants ALL the attention


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Tatiana wants ALL the attention
> View attachment 80625


Lol, she's worse than my cats!


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## secuono

Yesterday, I used scritches to get Tatiana to let me trim her front feet.
Today, I used hay cubes to do the back ones. 🤓 She's so smart.
She's like a very ugly pony...🤣


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## secuono




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## secuono

A few got eye trims. They look odd to me now. 😅 Kinda late, since shearing is in 2ish weeks.


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## secuono

I need a 4th 10ft gutter feeder...lol

Kibito has been jumping into the fenced off area to eat in peace. 












Look at this fat fluff! It's Majin! She did not want me taking her picture... =/ lol


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## secuono

Oh no...One of a woolly shepherd's biggest problems has arrived!

Keeping sheep DRY before shearing!

Rain! I hate rain. I used to love it, then I got a house with land and animals and flooding and wet sheep and working in rain and...ugh.

Anyway...Shearing is sometime between the 7th & 9th. So, here's the forecast leading up to it.

That used carport I got for a steal is going up today. Going to put it against the barn opening & add walls to keep it dry inside. They'll have to go in Sunday night & stay until Tuesday morning. Ugh.

Then, it looks like they may have to stay in from Thursday until shearing...wtf. I need a bigger barn. Without a raised alley separating it...

They're going to be some pissed off sheep! Ugh

Hopefully, most of it will change & be dry instead.


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Oh no...One of a woolly shepherd's biggest problems has arrived!
> 
> Keeping sheep DRY before shearing!
> 
> Rain! I hate rain. I used to love it, then I got a house with land and animals and flooding and wet sheep and working in rain and...ugh.
> 
> Anyway...Shearing is sometime between the 7th & 9th. So, here's the forecast leading up to it.
> 
> That used carport I got for a steal is going up today. Going to put it against the barn opening & add walls to keep it dry inside. They'll have to go in Sunday night & stay until Tuesday morning. Ugh.
> 
> Then, it looks like they may have to stay in from Thursday until shearing...wtf. I need a bigger barn. Without a raised alley separating it...
> 
> They're going to be some pissed off sheep! Ugh
> 
> Hopefully, most of it will change & be dry instead.
> 
> View attachment 80665
> View attachment 80664


Lol, I have heard that shop vacs on the blow setting and leaf blowers work well to dry them...


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## secuono

Alright, got that tent up!

Pulled the legs to be half sized, which is easier to deal with, less wind getting in from corner & less wall to enclose.

12×26ft of more space to keep sheep dry!


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## secuono

Got 3 rolls of clear film to go over the top and sides to keep out rain. Then dragged panels over to keep sheep in. 
Sunday, I'll put up the film, hoping it'll last a tiny bit longer that way. 
Need to clear out the barn, put up more feeders for hay & move the bale tomorrow.


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## secuono

Found this by SheepGirl under Articles in this forum. Who knew it was there? Not I!





Temporary structure is 12×26ft, so 312 sq ft.
The barn has two sides divided by the raised alley. Far side has a silo wall protruding into it
Both sides are about 8ft wide. I'll have to measure tomorrow on how long each is, but probably 35 & 40ft.


So, if it is, Near side 40×8ft, 320 sq ft.

Far side, 35×8ft, 280 sq ft on far side for 8 rams.
8×12=96 sq ft. 184 sq ft of open space.

320+312=632 sq ft for 31 ewes.
31×12=372 sq ft. 260 sq ft of open space.

🤔
That means that I really need to build onto the barn, if I'm going to keep any more ewes!! Even with no rain, they need to be locked up overnight & 52 sq ft is missing for them now! Ugh.   

That means that I need to set posts, put up beams, a real roof, to extend the side(s). 😰


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## secuono




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## secuono




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## secuono




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## secuono

Size comparisons!


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## secuono




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## secuono

Looks like even more rain! Ughhh!
Gotta go buy more pellet feed, cause they hate hay so much. 🙄 They see green outside, why must they eat the icky dry hay instead? 🤦🏽‍♀️
🤔
Monday in, Tuesday in until noon, Wednesday out, Thursday in, Friday & Saturday out, Sunday in. Rest of the 2nd week, possibly in. 😱


----------



## secuono

From 1pm, we've been to the stores & then outside getting the shelter ready.
Then, wrangling sheep in the dark!
Moved the spotted ram in with the adults, left the ramling & the tiny mature spot ram with the ewes. I'll move the adult tomorrow, but the ramling will be able to get out the pallet used for the LGD pup to get in/out, so he will stay with the ewes. 

Rams-










Ewes, mostly-


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## secuono

It didn't start raining until now. 🙄


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## secuono

Decided to use the cam on the ewes.








Added two 3ft feeders on left & then secured them all to the walls. Would be best if they were a foot off the ground, but oh well. 
Feeding dinner is going to be stressful, lol.


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## secuono

Frick!!
Its flooding some!
Tomorrow morning, I'll have to drag in pallets & mats to raise them up out of it. Hopefully, they won't lay in it tonight. 
Should have 3.5 days of dry starting Wednesday, so that'll be nice for them. 

Timelapse 





Set up a 6hr timelapse for tomorrow.


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## secuono

Seems like they've all moved into the barn. One came out for a drink.


----------



## misfitmorgan

You should look into putting up a hoop tunnel. We DIY'd a hoop tunnel for our poultry, it is 12x32' so 384sqft and it only cost a little under $800. We skipped the roll up side but you could add them for under $100 and you could also probly build it a bit cheaper as you wouldnt have to put poultry wire on the inside. We built the whole thing over 2 weeks time however 2 people could build the entire thing in 2 days in nice weather with good daylight. We also cut cattle panels in half length wise and used fence staples to put them all around the outside bottom to keep the goats/sheep/cows from going thru the greenhouse plastic, then the poultry wire is on the inside to keep the poultry off the plastic.

They sell the greenhouse plastic in a white if you want less of a shade effect and more of a high tunnel thing, also sell shade fabric that can go onto it for summer. Basically it would be a more permanent version of that carport, the plastic lasts for 3yrs-15yrs+ depending on which one you use. The galvanized poles/pipes will probly outlive you. 

Another big benefit is since the ground poles dont go into concrete the entire building can be taken down and re-located if you decide you dont like the location and building on uneven ground makes no difference as the pole height is adjusted to make the building all level or slightly sloping as desired. You could put it where the carport is in the pictures and also....you can make the tunnel as long or short as you want. The price difference in 12x32 vs 12x48 is very minimal. If you dont get snow/high winds the build is even cheaper as you can use 5ft hoop spacing instead of 4ft. Most counties also don't consider hoop tunnels/high tunnels/greenhouses permanent structures so no permit is needed.


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## secuono

Let the ewes out. 
Weather is constantly something different...Should be dry & okay to leave them out until Saturday night. 





Started to move in the pallets. Some spots are dry, others wet.


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## secuono

Ugh, so tired & dirty...
Had to take a break.


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## secuono

Okay, all in, don't have enough mats for the smooth pallets. Sheep refused to go onto them. Duh! Spread hay to look less like a cliff & slippery!

Also, literally hung the feeders up. 









The near day long timelapse should be ready to copy onto my phone, then laptop, then hopefully to YouTube. From phone, the trial one wouldn't go to YouTube, so idk if through the laptop will help or not.


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## secuono

When you run out of food, try pawing at the feeder. It won't make food show up, but maybe it'll make you feel better. 🤷🏽‍♀️


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## secuono

Okay, here's today's timelapse!


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## Kusanar

That looks like a VERY effective way to keep them all dry! Good job!


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## secuono

They've been out and supposed to rain at midnight to 4am, so in they went!

Looks like Apostle is laying down, Tatiana's black lamb standing at center, pretty sure Majin at the feeder & I'm not sure which white is standing around. Maybe sugar or bayley? Idk
Set the Timelapse for a few hours again.


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## secuono




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## secuono

Regular recording, downloaded an app to turn it into a timelapse. Unfortunately, it forces a different size, so sides were cut off.


----------



## Kusanar

I see they don't have a problem walking on the smooth pallets anymore!


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## secuono

Tatiana got to go out on an outing! She met a lot of horses.


----------



## secuono




----------



## animalmom

All you sheepies are adorable, but I have to confess that Tatiana is my favorite.  Love her fashion sense!


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## secuono

Snow!!


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## secuono

Supposed to be dry for 2 days, sheep out!
They have 2 bins of water, not empty, but several preferred to eat snow instead. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

This is triplet Clefairy! She still has her funny little bahh.


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## secuono

Of course...NOW the weatherman switched it to 70% precipitation...🙄
Its snowing again. 
But 3 days of dry afterwards.🤔
Decided to leave them out.


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## secuono

So windy & cold today!!
But all the hay from the bale in barn is now eaten or in feeders.
Need to move the bale they've been chowing on from storage into the temporary building...
Is it tall enough for the bale? Tall enough for a cattle panel to be put up around the bale?
Can I fit another pallet under the bale to keep it dry from sheep pee?
Will I be able to corral the sheep out, take fence down, bring in tractor, put fence back up, open gate to corralled sheep and get that new bale, move it to the new location all w/o squishing any sheep???
Ugh, idk. Only one way to find out...


----------



## secuono

Forgot that I moved the pallets, which used to be in the easement/pony track area.
Which meant that if I moved the pine branches, the tractor could go through there instead!

Sheep stayed out of the way, was able to wiggle it in & moved the rubber mats out of the area the bale would sit to where the feeders are. Less slippy now...

Bent a cattle panel & then wrapped it tight to the bale!

Will pull hay from top to feed rams.


Not in order...
Rams & dogs tried to help bend it.






Rubber mats along feeders! I need to tie them all together. Sheep move them...




The bale before moving!
I had cut a hole in the netting to let the ewes eat it, but hopefully stay together when I needed to move it.
It stayed together!!


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## secuono

Gah!! Why are pics always so random?? Feeder pics are together in album, but not here, same with other pics. So weird.

Anywho...

Corriedale, her daughter & the 20" spotted ram.




Feeders for hay, 2 pics, just to have reference of them in the future. 








Having to hand refill water.






Magnemite. Now that he can see, he's quite brave and curious!




Hirola




Kibito, she can reach the top! Lol


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## secuono

He'll be a year old in one month!
If I had washed him, it might be more obvious that its him. 🤣
Shearing next week, can't wait to get that pic to compare as well.


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## secuono




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## secuono

This is fun!
I set it up to record all day for the next video.
Here is yesterday with kitty included.
I had to move sheep, hay blocks them from being smart and going to the far feeders. 🙄


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## secuono

Feeding these two extra, when they cooperate....


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## secuono

Gawd, way to freak me out, Patchie!!

Edit.
I typed Patchie, then second guessed myself. Dumb.
Now editing because I was right!
I love how I know my sheep!!


----------



## secuono

Today's TL.
Restarted to do a 24 hour one! They're locked in all night until no rain falling tomorrow. 
Weirdly fun! Lol


----------



## Kusanar

I wish I had internet out at my farm. I would totally set up a deer feeder to go off a few times a day with hay pellets in it so the horses would come down in front of the camera a few times a day. I've thought about getting one of the ones that generates it's own internet through a phone plan but haven't fully researched that yet.


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## secuono

Green is exit doorway for shorn rams.
Red is exit for shorn ewes. Fully open to yard, has food, hopefully, they won't want to come back to shearing area.
Orange is holding area for most ewes.
Blue is a double gate, so I can get the next ewe ready in line w/o fighting a gate and sheep and hoping not to loose any, lol.



Area for rams to wait to be shorn.
I'll have all the rams done first and moved out.
Then, I'll have Kibito & Majin shorn & fleeces bagged. Then the rest can be shorn, fleeces tossed. 





Really wish I had a proper sheep alley & holding pen. But oh well...


----------



## secuono

Tried to get comparison pics, Kibito & Ewenique. They wouldn't stay away long enough for a pic, lol.


----------



## secuono

Shearing day is confirmed for Monday!
Still waiting on time of arrival, though.

Supposed to snow Sunday, 5in or so.


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## secuono

After, literal, noon shearing. First time not having to wake up at the crack of dawn!!   
I can't properly express just how much I hate mornings! I'm basically a zombie for a few hours afterwards, don't even eat. Have to choke something down if I'm going on a day trip. 
Mornings are dumb! Lol


----------



## secuono

Mom & daughter, Majin looks better, lol. I wonder if that's lambs, fat or fluff? 🤔🤣


----------



## secuono

Adding clear panels to the barn. Will redo them properly after lambing.

Pup stole the screw box, lol.


Housedog found pup's bone & got pinned to the ground. 🤦🏽‍♀️
Luckily, pup has good self control when it comes to these things. 😅

Housedog is going blind & deaf, but that's not really an excuse to be a thief & an ahole. Lol

Afterwards, pup decided to watch her from under my feet.


----------



## secuono

And... shearing is canceled.

Thanks covid-19....


----------



## secuono

Got the 4th 10ft feeder up.
They bent it and dumped most of it.   



This is Magmar, the left over ramling. Was going to list him after shearing, but now he'll stay looking awful until April & then I can list him. Ugh




At least I finally spelled this right 🤦🏽‍♀️😅




Daylight pic of the panels. It'll be just wood frame & clear panels at the end.
The black tarps are getting thrown out, the wood pallet walls will be thrown out. Should be clean and open looking once I'm done. Hopefully...


----------



## secuono

The 24hr Timelapse failed because it went too far below freezing. 

Anywho. I think I'll clear out the loose hay on bottom, flip the bale & re-add the loose hay.

I've been stuffing the top hay down for them to reach.


----------



## secuono

Finally got the info I've been after for custom feed.

Two ton minimum. 
Currently, 14.59 a 50# bag.
20% protein. 
Made and left as grounded, not turned into pellets.
80 bags. I'll have to see how much my cargovan can handle per trip.
Gotta find a place to keep all of it...
1,167.2 for it. Idk if that's with tax or not. 
With the latest trip to tsc & lowes, I may not have that much anymore. And I won't have more until lamb deposits come in. 
Next big question, will they even eat it? Hmm...


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Finally got the info I've been after for custom feed.
> 
> Two ton minimum.
> Currently, 14.59 a 50# bag.
> 20% protein.
> Made and left as grounded, not turned into pellets.
> 80 bags. I'll have to see how much my cargovan can handle per trip.
> Gotta find a place to keep all of it...
> 1,167.2 for it. Idk if that's with tax or not.
> With the latest trip to tsc & lowes, I may not have that much anymore. And I won't have more until lamb deposits come in.
> Next big question, will they even eat it? Hmm...


Will the mill run a sample? They may be able to make a pound or 2 in a smaller sample machine that you could try feeding to them and make sure they will eat it before buying a full batch. 

I would assume weight wise a cargo van would be a 1 ton so should be able to handle close to a ton anyway. Space wise, that would be 40 bags so not sure if that would fit or not...


----------



## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Will the mill run a sample? They may be able to make a pound or 2 in a smaller sample machine that you could try feeding to them and make sure they will eat it before buying a full batch.
> 
> I would assume weight wise a cargo van would be a 1 ton so should be able to handle close to a ton anyway. Space wise, that would be 40 bags so not sure if that would fit or not...



They're generally picky.
They don't like alfalfa hay.
They didn't like alfalfa pellets for awhile. I had to mix sweet feed pellets (they make a copper free version) and I'm still weaning them off it. Lol
I plan on doing the same for the ground feed. I just hope they adjust quicker to it!

I know 20 bags fit, less than half the space used. I'd assume at least 20 would stay in the van, as I already leave extra in there.

Idk how much space ground takes up vs pellets. 
Pellets- 4 bags of 40#, 3.5 bags of 50# fit in the 32gal bins. 🤔
 A heck of a lot of bins......I have one for salt/minerals, then one for dog food. Two are currently used for horse stuff, lol, because it's super convenient. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I need to find something better for them, though! 
Do I want a yard filled with 26+ bins? No, lol. They make larger ones, but they're too hard to reach the bottom of.
Maybe I need to build my own. 🤔


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> They're generally picky.
> They don't like alfalfa hay.
> They didn't like alfalfa pellets for awhile. I had to mix sweet feed pellets (they make a copper free version) and I'm still weaning them off it. Lol
> I plan on doing the same for the ground feed. I just hope they adjust quicker to it!
> 
> I know 20 bags fit, less than half the space used. I'd assume at least 20 would stay in the van, as I already leave extra in there.
> 
> Idk how much space ground takes up vs pellets.
> Pellets- 4 bags of 40#, 3.5 bags of 50# fit in the 32gal bins. 🤔
> A heck of a lot of bins......I have one for salt/minerals, then one for dog food. Two are currently used for horse stuff, lol, because it's super convenient. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I need to find something better for them, though!
> Do I want a yard filled with 26+ bins? No, lol. They make larger ones, but they're too hard to reach the bottom of.
> Maybe I need to build my own. 🤔


Yeah, I don't know how much room that would take either. Maybe a small storage building? A horse barn I used to work for got their feed in bulk and it was pumped into an empty stall and they just used a shovel to scoop it out as needed. Of course they fed 2-4 wheelbarrows of grain a day...


----------



## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Yeah, I don't know how much room that would take either. Maybe a small storage building? A horse barn I used to work for got their feed in bulk and it was pumped into an empty stall and they just used a shovel to scoop it out as needed. Of course they fed 2-4 wheelbarrows of grain a day...



Hah, oh no. I can already see the swarms of mice, rats & birds if I had open storage! 
No way, no loose feed! 
Already have enough mice/rat issues. 😅
It took a few years for the barn rats to fully go away. Barncat doesn't hunt rats, just moles/voles and birds. 🙄 There's a rat stealing his food and he just watches them. 🤦🏽‍♀️




Also, it looks like the Timelapse sort of worked...but it's not 24hrs and it's not the day I set it for...🤷🏽‍♀️ I don't understand what happened there.
Its uploading to YouTube now, I'll post link once its ready!


----------



## secuono

IDK where kitty will sleep, now that I've flopped the bale over. 🤔


----------



## secuono

Look at this mess they made...They're claiming there's no more hay. 🙄🙄🙄


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Look at this mess they made...They're claiming there's no more hay. 🙄🙄🙄
> View attachment 81434


I don't see any hay in that picture... where do you see hay? lol

My horses do the same thing sometimes... and the cats... ugh the cats... lol


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## secuono

Removed the core and shoved the other layers out. 




Since she had 3 last year, but usually only has 2, I'm dying to know which she'll have this year! 🤔🤷🏽‍♀️
I'm hoping for lots of twins & most to be ewes!!


----------



## secuono

Bought 18 panels...need at least 8 more to finish. Battery in drill died, so couldn't put up the 18th panel.


Magnemite helping


Added little tabs, nothing to screw to otherwise!


This end, panels to the ground.


And this end, I may need a 4th to fully close it. 


Ewenique helping


----------



## secuono

Went back and got that 18th panel up.

Its noticeably warmer!
The lambs will be much more comfortable now! I won't have to add solid walls to the jugs, which is great. And I won't freeze either when I'm out there. 

I also put up a different panel to the raised room's doorway by the silo. That area floods the barn with cold air. I need to get a new sliding barndoor kit for it. It used to have one long ago.


----------



## secuono

Got pics of most.


----------



## secuono




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## secuono

Kibito & daughter Seadra




Gif of 3 sheepies
Tallest to shortest
Kibito, Corriedale. Tatiana, BFL/Cheviot. Patchie, Babydoll Southdown.




Gif of Bayley.
Single, twins or just fat & food? 
🤔


----------



## secuono

Mixed most of the pellets together, then moved the bin to the hay shelter. Supposed to rain/snow next few days, so now Kibito can eat as much as she wants, when she wants. Hopefully, this means she'll finally be a normal weight! Pickiest, biggest baby, huge pushover, needs her buddies with her, the list goes on. Ugh. Took forever to convince her either pellet is edible, too! It's been such a long struggle...
Maybe its normal for giant breeds, idk, but it really bothers me. At least she's been a bit better each year.


----------



## secuono

Looks like I'll be moving another bale in later today.


----------



## secuono

Should of moved it in the AM. Rain, ice & snow falling now. 
Light enough that they're shoving it around...


----------



## secuono

Snowing again.


----------



## secuono

Bought a Wyze panning camera and the 2 cam outdoor set!

Panning for the sheep for lambing, outdoor for trespassers.


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## secuono

Ordered vit E as well, for a very light top dressing to go along with their daily pellets. 
Been reading that hay is low on E by now & adding it to a pregnant ewe's diet should help ewes & lambs, if its lacking & be a general boost. 
Its going along with the extra hay, pellets & early oat experiment. As well as keeping them by the barn. Shearing them for their instinct to lamb someplace sheltered, because they're nakie & cold, failed, though. 
We're on a cold winter cycle, so maybe doing the shearing experiment another year is best.


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## secuono

All but one sheep is in the barn this morning. Nice to know. Not that you can tell from this pic, lol.


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> All but one sheep is in the barn this morning. Nice to know. Not that you can tell from this pic, lol.
> View attachment 81537


I love the dog in the hay nest


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I love the dog in the hay nest



(cat)


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> (cat)


Holy S***!!! I keep forgetting that your sheep are that tiny! I was thinking that was the size of a golden retriever!


----------



## secuono

Upload is extremely slow today...

New bale in! 
Can't see much else, lol!


----------



## secuono

Ugh....won't show up...I'll try again later.


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## secuono

There we go!


----------



## secuono

Mud, bleh!






Drilling into the bale, lol.


----------



## secuono

Cameras arrived!
Waiting on wireless one to charge.
Panning cam, I'll try to put it in the barn where I can see all of the inside of both buildings. Hopefully. 
The wireless, I'll try to get it as far out as possible. Might need to buy a signal booster to be able to get it out back to watch for trespassing hunters. Which was the whole point of these cams in the first place.


----------



## secuono

Panning cam is up.
Not perfect, but pretty good!
Barn wall blocks all signal, so it can't go in more. I'll attach a little offset wood base for it to screw into from below.

I should buy more solar barn lights, that should help.

Lol, yeah, its hanging!




Scratching her butt..


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## secuono




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## secuono

Most sheep refused to come out today, too much ice falling from the sky. But these two wanted a snack of a different flavor...


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## secuono

They're very anti-outside now. Mud makes them not want to come out. 🙄 I check in a lot with the camera, great thing to have, and they're always inside. To heck with the gross, wet, cold outside world! Lol
Removed the metal panel and put up wood instead for them to reach the bale. Also knocked bale onto its side. Should be able to better reach the hay now. 
Filled up mineral and baking soda bins, last night's rain snapped some connectors, cat loves to be on all roofing...


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## secuono




----------



## SA Farm

Are a few of them limping, tripping, or just wadding in that video? Maybe some mud wedged between their toes?


----------



## Kusanar

SA Farm said:


> Are a few of them limping, tripping, or just wadding in that video? Maybe some mud wedged between their toes?


Yeah, that big white one at 31 seconds looked to be hopping quite a bit on a front foot.


----------



## secuono

SA Farm said:


> Are a few of them limping, tripping, or just wadding in that video? Maybe some mud wedged between their toes?


Both.
They've made the ground into tiny daggers on freezing days and mud soup the other days. Don't have anything else to keep them out of mud.


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## secuono

Today was very sunny, so the sheep ventured out to sun bathe. 
I used a couple of panels to block the muddiest part of the gateway. They always take the shortest route, even if its mud-soup & give me dirty looks. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Walk 2ft off to the side!! 🙄 They watched me and were not impressed. 

Fish water & metal water is better than water from rubber bins....I don't get it. They're clean, they use them in summer, but now it's a problem. 🙄



Mud by gate & feed bins. Walk on the hinged side!


I also had a fire scare by my hay last night...
Turns out it was a reflection of something...🤷🏽‍♀️


----------



## secuono

...so, a sheep decided to be one with the feeder...


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## secuono




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## secuono

Moved in a solar light to test. I need a different one that is on preferably a few hours after dusk and a few before dawn. But idk if they make a cheap one like that. 🤔


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## secuono

Kibito may be 3yrs old, but that doesn't mean that she can't have fun!




Smug Saola




Peri & kitty




Kibito & Tatiana messing around. 
Many ewes were bouncing around & grumbling with others today. 




Pretty sure it's Shelly who was limping in the video. But she seems better today. 




Wideload Ewenique & kitty




Kibito & her daughter Seadra bouncing around 




Seadra finally let me pet her nose!!




Then Seadra ate some hay she found on Ewenique's back.


----------



## secuono

Trying to upload next versions of faces. 
Top is this year, bottom left is lamb, bottom right is in between. 
Looks like their woolly faces came back!


----------



## secuono

Okay....
Looking at custom feed vs 2 other ready options.


$900 in storage bins alone.

$1,170 for 2,000# 20% protein, meal. Custom at FHC.

$1,000 for 2,000# 14% protien, 50/50 of 12% all-stock & 16% alfalfa, pellet. At Tractor Supply Co.

$1,370 for 2,000# 16% protein, straight alfalfa pellet. At Rural King. Plus gas an hour away.


I seem to be going through 500# in roughly 14 days. 35# a day, 8.7# a bucket. Idk if that's right...
I'll weigh the buckets tomorrow.


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## secuono

Cut feed in half & added about 10 cups of hot water per bucket. Once soaked & fluffed, went out to feed it.

Some weren't happy about it. All are mashing it down into the feeder, making it harder for them to gobble it up like hogs.

Still recording a timelapse of this feeding. I'm hoping to see zero choke & so far, looks good.

Ends up fluffed to nearly a full bucket!
The sweet feed soaks & fluffs much faster than the alfalfa.


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## secuono




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## secuono

Smooshed the bale to make the feeder half the width. Probably hard to see, though...Hopefully, they'll eat all of it over night. 
Tomorrow, they get a new, 3rd, bale!


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## secuono

Well then...


----------



## SA Farm

Baaad sheepies! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Sorry they tore up their hay feeder. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult to put it back together!


----------



## secuono

SA Farm said:


> Baaad sheepies! (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
> Sorry they tore up their hay feeder. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult to put it back together!



I use baling twine, so nothing is broken, just their minds!
They had enough hay for feeding the rams twice, and of course, as I'm putting it in bins to move out, they decide that it's suddenly super delicious...🙄


New bale in!
Seems to be a little better quality than the previous one.
It's kinda blocking thevway...😅


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## secuono




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## secuono

Updated the website with new ewe pics. 








						Forever Farms
					

NOTE You may of heard by now that there is a fourth registry. I won't get into the who, what, where, when, why and how of it all. Please do your own research before deciding what you would like to...



					forever-farms.weebly.com


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## secuono

secuono said:


>



Hmm, I did 3 second timelapse, but it looks like it went faster??


----------



## Longhornbreeder101

secuono said:


> Hmm, I did 3 second timelapse, but it looks like it went faster??


Love the sheep’s


----------



## secuono

I may be doing a group buy/transport share with one or two local breeders.
Saved 137 breeder emails, from 21 states & registered with OEBSR, to contact once I know what they are looking for exactly.
Not sure how many are still active, though.

Next day-
11 are broken emails.
10 are no longer breeding.
1 just started.
2 are NABs not OE.
3 may have lambs available this year.
4 have space on wait list for 2022.


----------



## secuono

Redid the feeder again. They have to reach in & stay in to eat. Should reduce waste to near zero.
Being lightweight wood not screwed together, and blocking the path, I used twine to keep it still.


----------



## secuono

Just a recap of last year's spotted & white marked lambs.
I can hardly wait!! 7 days before lamb watch starts!
















White tail






Middle one had ONE white hair on her head. Lol


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## secuono




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## secuono

Well!
Look what I just read!

Do I dare??

Yeah, waiting to hear back, lol!


"We have 16 bred ewes due to start lambing end of March, all 2 year olds. 2 yearling ewes, also a ram, two years old. We are discontnuing our sheep business, most are registered two registries, ram one registry. We are in Southeastern South Dakota."


----------



## secuono

secuono said:


> Well!
> Look what I just read!
> 
> Do I dare??
> 
> Yeah, waiting to hear back, lol!
> 
> 
> "We have 16 bred ewes due to start lambing end of March, all 2 year olds. 2 yearling ewes, also a ram, two years old. We are discontnuing our sheep business, most are registered two registries, ram one registry. We are in Southeastern South Dakota."



Husband OKed it, fellow breeder agreed to buying half.


----------



## secuono

secuono said:


> Husband OKed it, fellow breeder agreed to buying half.



Other breeder doesn't want them shipped so close to lambing. So, I had to pass as well, as I can't lamb out 16 more ewes & then sell to her, unfortunately. 

Welp, back to the long list and waiting on return emails!


In other news. Its raining here and the girls are refusing to come out again. Divas, the lot of em!! Lol


----------



## secuono

No choking since soaking feed. Which is great. Only problem is that it takes 3x the time to carefully scoop it all into the troughs.

They do a lot of loafing around & pretending the short ends of hay isn't good enough. It's the same, just short & they are being so spoiled about it. 🙄

A few ewes look to be getting closer to lambing. I haven't been checking, since the earliest possible time is March 1st.


----------



## secuono

Used my blender to grind up two full buckets of feed. Will use this for tomorrow instead of soaked.

Will be interesting to see if grinded up feed helps with choke or if soaked is best.

I have a feeling that it might not help after all...

What do you guys think?


----------



## SA Farm

I’d be concerned about the tiny particles being inhaled, but only one way to find out  🤷‍♀️


----------



## secuono

SA Farm said:


> I’d be concerned about the tiny particles being inhaled, but only one way to find out  🤷‍♀️


🤔 yeah, you're right. For long term use, I'd have to find a way to not grind it so fine.


----------



## Kusanar

Judging by my experience eating... eating a lot of dry powdery texture sucks all of the moisture from your mouth almost instantly and doesn't encourage salivation. Eating something pellet textured, you can roll it in your mouth more and it stimulates the salivation glands more. With a soaked powdery texture, it is already moist so it doesn't matter if you add extra moisture to it when chewing. 

I would actually be more worried about the ground up pellets than whole pellets. When I feed the horses I use a 2.5 gallon bucket (only giving them enough for a treat) and put 4 1.5 cup scoops of hay pellets and 1 scoop of beet pulp in the bucket, fill to the brim with water (cold from the well) and it fluffs fully in about 10 minutes or so. This gets it fully expanded but not WET. I don't know how you would fill those gutter feeders easier though. I just dump mine in an empty 50 gallon water trough.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Judging by my experience eating... eating a lot of dry powdery texture sucks all of the moisture from your mouth almost instantly and doesn't encourage salivation. Eating something pellet textured, you can roll it in your mouth more and it stimulates the salivation glands more. With a soaked powdery texture, it is already moist so it doesn't matter if you add extra moisture to it when chewing.
> 
> I would actually be more worried about the ground up pellets than whole pellets. When I feed the horses I use a 2.5 gallon bucket (only giving them enough for a treat) and put 4 1.5 cup scoops of hay pellets and 1 scoop of beet pulp in the bucket, fill to the brim with water (cold from the well) and it fluffs fully in about 10 minutes or so. This gets it fully expanded but not WET. I don't know how you would fill those gutter feeders easier though. I just dump mine in an empty 50 gallon water trough.



Yeah.
Sometimes the brain doesn't work until after you've gone ahead with the idea, then it hits you, all the negatives you couldn't see before. 
🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Yeah.
> Sometimes the brain doesn't work until after you've gone ahead with the idea, then it hits you, all the negatives you couldn't see before.
> 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️


I'm sure they'll be fine. Would it be possible to feed them in something other than the gutter while they are getting soaked pellets? Just to make it easier for you to fill it.


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## secuono

Having problems with the pan cam not saving what I record. Maybe it takes awhile to show up? Idk...
I didn't hear/see any coughing. 
Being reminded of how much I hate my barn's design, for cattle, not short sheep. Ugh. 
Used some of the 3ft black feeders today, since they've decided pooping and peeing in the white ones is the cool thing to do. So I have to wash the two by the bale & I guess find a way to protect them when not in use. 




Wish I had multiple yards with barns. Then I could split them up by age, weight & pregnancy status and feed them accordingly. 
Just more things to plan & build.. ugh.


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## secuono

Moved 3 to feed unlimited pellets yesterday & today, I was able to move Apostle over.
The others lounged out in the sun the last 2 days, in the 60s.



Update- Feb 25th, 2:26
Put them back together, they're being loosers about eating. 🙄 High as heck maintenance...


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## secuono

Pushed back two weeks from previous years. 
Can't wait to see what is born this year!


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## secuono

Bought four 6"×1"×12' boards & used some scrap wood to make two new sheep feeders!
These will stay outside in a separate yard. I'll use them when the weather is nice or when the sheep aren't cooperating with moving out of the shelter where the covered feeders are at.


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## secuono

Bought n built a 3rd feeder, then tested them out with soaked feed.
They need a lip to keep feed in. Pellets may be fine.







Shortened video


----------



## secuono

Tried pellets again, but they haven't learned anything. Looks like I'll forever be soaking their feed.





Also, I put up three, 3ft, LED lights on a timer. Should help camera see them.











Periwinkle & yearling daughter, Clefairy.




flipped to keep rain & poop out!




kibito licking my car because...idk, sheep are weird...




New bale tomorrow, only 3 left. Feeder shrunk by one panel, too.


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## secuono




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## secuono

So, we'll be getting haying equipment and post hole drill and fork lift n such.
Which means my plans for a lean-to on the short barn wall will happen. If that goes well, I'll continue to add one each on the long sides of the barn.

The alternative is to have metal carports installed and I slowly enclose them.

I need to figure out which I prefer!

I also need to level the gravel and order the metal hay building!


----------



## secuono

Looks like it would be cheaper to go with the metal carports installed. Then I finish them off with time. 

No lambs today.

Shrunk hay feeder again to get them to eat more of it before I put in the new bale.

I'm trying to think of how to build long, narrow hay feeders that have the "keyhole" type of design blocking the sheep from making a mess. 
The hay baler will be a mini one, so  it'll make 40-70# rounds, similar to small square bales, just round!
I want to continue feeding similarly to how I am now, but have the bales laying in the center of a long feeder all in a row. Sheep will line up on either side, stick heads n necks in and eat. All dropped hay will stay in the feeder, dry, clean, where they can still eat it. I'll start drawing up plans, going to see if anyone already makes a feeder I could adjust to fit my needs or if I'll have to build them myself. 
I'll probably put wheels on one end, that way, I can cart them around as needed. No roof on them, as they'll be for shelter use.


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Looks like it would be cheaper to go with the metal carports installed. Then I finish them off with time.
> 
> No lambs today.
> 
> Shrunk hay feeder again to get them to eat more of it before I put in the new bale.
> 
> I'm trying to think of how to build long, narrow hay feeders that have the "keyhole" type of design blocking the sheep from making a mess.
> The hay baler will be a mini one, so  it'll make 40-70# rounds, similar to small square bales, just round!
> I want to continue feeding similarly to how I am now, but have the bales laying in the center of a long feeder all in a row. Sheep will line up on either side, stick heads n necks in and eat. All dropped hay will stay in the feeder, dry, clean, where they can still eat it. I'll start drawing up plans, going to see if anyone already makes a feeder I could adjust to fit my needs or if I'll have to build them myself.
> I'll probably put wheels on one end, that way, I can cart them around as needed. No roof on them, as they'll be for shelter use.


An idea I don't know if you could use or not. Have you thought of using hay nets? You could make a trough out of hay net material and make it high enough on the sides that the sheep can't reach over (most of yours are short so shouldn't need to be TOO high) and the hay will gravity feed down to the bottom where they can get to it. Just toss more on top when it starts getting low.


----------



## secuono

Kusanar said:


> An idea I don't know if you could use or not. Have you thought of using hay nets? You could make a trough out of hay net material and make it high enough on the sides that the sheep can't reach over (most of yours are short so shouldn't need to be TOO high) and the hay will gravity feed down to the bottom where they can get to it. Just toss more on top when it starts getting low.



I've only once been able to find perfect enough hay to feed like that. There's always stems or worse in most hay, which will stop my sheep from eating out of any feeder until I come by to remove the offensive bits "blocking" the good hay behind...🙄

A net hung in a feeder might work if I can ensure no yearlings could squeeze in and get a leg hung up.
Nets out in the open do not work for sheep. I've had one get tangled in a net when it was low on hay and sagged to the ground. I was sure it would loose its foot, but it got dang lucky.

I drew this really ugly picture of what I think would work-


Walls would need to be tall enough to keep sheep from jumping in(mostly the giant Corriedale & her daughter...), but low enough that I can drop in bales easily.

Thinking more about it, if these are in sheltered areas, I could use that inside, sloped area to feed hard feed as well!
It might help them eat the dropped hay, too!


----------



## secuono

I don't think anyone will lamb this week. Based on udders felt and such.

They broke a feeder the other day...

So, I got some things to start fixing it and bracing them better. Then the drills battery died...

Decided to try feeding pellets again. But this time, I layered the big alfalfa pellets along the bottom and the smaller mix pellet on top. 
I also tried to get them to come to the gate w/o getting them too excited. Then opened the gate to let one at a time through.
Seems to of helped, as no one choked today! 

Charging the battery, will finish beefing up the feeders soon.


----------



## secuono

Got them all braced with the little supports! Will add another long, wide board to the other side of the legs tomorrow. 
My finger was a casualty, though...


----------



## secuono

Ewenique- you going to refill these again or what??
Also, can see more of the bracing. Hopefully, they won't break them again...



6 of the lambing jug panels still needed a board on bottom to keep lambs in. So, that got done. And a couple needed fixing up, since the person I bought them from didn't predrill holes, lots of areas split and screws came out of the second board they were supposed to be attached to.
Been debating adding another board to the middle space...Some lambs get too excited and manage to get out. 🤔



Close-up of the little braces that were also added.
I had bought metal L plates, but they didn't line up well enough to use. Need to return them soon...





Also...
DO NOT buy these...
Three of these broke. Two in under 12 holes, the other on the 2nd hole!!
100% trash!


----------



## secuono

No lambs yet.


----------



## secuono




----------



## secuono

Took some time, but I got three cameras going!
They still cannot be used behind walls, silo, tree and other thick, signal blocking objects, but ah well. Hoping to get either an external wifi thingy or a booster to help with that.


----------



## secuono

Day 6 of lambing season, no lambs yet.


Split a few sheep that I'd like to fatten up, but Periwinkle eats only how much she wants. Ugh. If she has triplets again, she needs to EAT!

Kibito, Clefairy & her mom Periwinkle, Apostle & Patchie


----------



## Mini Horses

Question....the small baler, is it a tractor attachment?   Only small I've seen was a walk behind and big bucks.    

My kidding season began today🙂


----------



## secuono

Mini Horses said:


> Question....the small baler, is it a tractor attachment?   Only small I've seen was a walk behind and big bucks.
> 
> My kidding season began today🙂



Congratulations! 🐐


They're all attachments for my yanmar tractor.
Mini balers are originally for pine needles!



			Yanmar YMRB32 Mini Round Baler – Rovendale Ag & Barn
		


But I'm thinking that I need to convince my husband to NOT buy haying equipment & instead, let me spend 1-1.5k or so on hay every year...


----------



## secuono

Tell me your thoughts, Forum peeps!

Is buying equipment a good or bad money decision?

I'm feeling like we keep making stupid choices with big purchases...



Kinda thinking that buying hay making equipment isn't smart. Especially without flat ground to not roll equipment by accident...

If I buy 17 round bales at $60 each, it's $1,020.

I bought 10 rounds at $55 each, it was $550 this year & I have 2 left for the sheep. 

IDK how many bales the ponies would go through in April through November while on the track.
But it would probably be less than 1k a year on hay for both? 

It would take 25 years to spend 25k on their hay at 1k a year, same amount the new equipment would cost. Not including fertilizers, strings, replacement/fixing parts & such.
Selling lambs usually pays for most hay & pellets each year.


----------



## Mini Horses

That's what stopped me -- equipment cost vs buying hay.   Walk behind was $8k, lot o hay buying there!  Then upkeep for me isn't as easy with no guys around.  And that stuff breaks, expensive to fix.   I buy hay.   PLUS good hay isn't just cutting grass!   Takes care and input.  Personally, I wasn't feeling good about the work and care it needed.


----------



## secuono

I think I was able to convince him to NOT get the equipment. 

He said his mother would flat out pay for it, but that's still not the whole problem. If our land was much more flat, I'd be very willing, but I still have not bushhogged more than 1/3rd, if not less, of the property will the tractor! The hills are so scary! The hidden rocks that could break my equipment on the first time using then and the holes it could get stuck in and the springs I could accidentally sink into and get stuck...


----------



## secuono

Saola might be first to lamb!


----------



## SA Farm




----------



## Mini Horses

secuono said:


> Saola might be first to lamb!


Questionable, now that you said it!


----------



## secuono

Patchie may also be close.
Jello coochies is the biggest difference/change.
Saola also has some discharge. 
I need Periwinkle to eat more, but she doesn't want to split from the others just for that.

I filled a horse feed bag and chased Kibito around. Put it inside of a bucket and she instantly put her head in! 🙄 So, I'll be feeding her extra that way. I don't remember if I have more big feed bags or not, but if I find them, I'll try to use them on Periwinkle and anyone else needing extra food. They can run around away from the others, but never actually be pushed off food. Best thing ever.


----------



## secuono

I found this lambing calculator that has different dates than the one I usually use...
Makes sense that the first week being lamb-free guess was right.
Now on week two, day one, no lambs, but they're definitely getting closer.


----------



## secuono

62F so far, so very nice!

Ewenique is dark pink and a little separated from the others. 🤞🤞🤞

One of the Cali girls looks pink, too.

Somebody has to lamb today! Too nice out not to!


----------



## secuono

🤔🤔🤔

Patchie

Ewenique 

Cali 220

Bayley

Sugar


this one's a face! 🤭
saola

Forgot which this one is...

Vanilla to end the coochie pics on a cute note. Lol

And this is Periwinkle with the horse feed bag. Huge! But she can eat w/o others stealing it!


----------



## secuono

Majin



Ewenique 



Piccolo & Kibito 



Laying is Bayley. Sugar next to her. 



Standing up is Seadra, Kibito's daughter. Lucy next to her and Addie far right. 



Saola & Vanilla


----------



## secuono

Finally, lambs!!


Sebastian × Ewenique 
Triple registry, codon RR. White twins, ram & ewe!


Checked the cams and...
Two dogs, 2 sheep arguing and...two lambs??!




The black sheep is Lucia. She was/is still trying to steal a lamb. 
I put a double fence up because of Lucia, but also because of the pup...




Bad dog!
Going under fence! 
Put a pallet there. 




kept rolling her down to lay. So far, she seems uninterested in lambs.


----------



## secuono

A few more. Barely a sniff, lol.


----------



## secuono




----------



## secuono




----------



## secuono

It looks like several ewes will lamb in the next week.


----------



## secuono

More Ewenique lamb pics.


----------



## Longhornbreeder101

Beautiful lambs


----------



## Longhornbreeder101

Are they baby boys or baby girls or both


----------



## secuono

Trying to figure out who mom is and genders via camera...
Cali mom and white ram, are my guesses. Lol


----------



## Mini Horses

Congrats!   You have enough ewes to keep us entertained for a while.  😁 

Love seeing new babes!


----------



## secuono

Ffagirl22 said:


> Are they baby boys or baby girls or both


Ewenique's are one of each.


----------



## secuono

(220)Evangeline × Krillin.
Twins, codon RR, 3× registries. Black ewe, white ram.
She didn't look big enough for two!








Ewenique n lambs




Both Ewenique & Evangeline n their twins


----------



## Longhornbreeder101

Awwwww


secuono said:


> Ewenique's are one of each.


 that’s awsome


----------



## secuono

Been watching Saola & she was a bit red yesterday. She's very swollen & more colored today. 
Will she also have two or just one? Later today for her to lamb?


----------



## secuono

Moved the feeders to another area & blocked it off. Can fill them in peace, but I think I need a 4th feeder now...
They crowded the middle one & I had to shove some over to find the ones along the fence.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

They are so fuzzy, they look like big teddy bears. How many more are still waiting to lamb?


----------



## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> They are so fuzzy, they look like big teddy bears. How many more are still waiting to lamb?


Since the 3 small rams moved in with them because of the new LGD pup, up to 30 could lamb. 23 are planned, though.


----------



## secuono

Saola looks to be getting ready to lamb. Sides haven't sunk, though.
Idk what Patchie is doing, moral support? Lol


----------



## secuono

...I need a step in post to stick cams onto....


----------



## secuono

Tatiana knocked down the cam...


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## secuono

Saola × Krillin.
Twins, codon RR, 3× registries. Black ewe w/head mark, black ram.
I didn't feel a 3rd. She was very lazy about pushing out the ram, so I gave him a tug. She stayed laying, laid ram by teat and he nursed. Born about an hour after I caught mom to hold her to let eweling nurse. She kept running around instead.
Got mom up, eweling is fast asleep, now that she's fed. Ramling is working on standing.

Pics are backw...


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Saola n twins, plus the setup so far.









Everyone is banded, tagged & tail length measured.


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Bayley had twin ewelings!
Bayley × Sebastian 
Codon RR, 3x registries, twin ewes.


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Icarus had a single!
Icarus × Magnemite
Codon QR, BSSBA & OEBSR. Black with white on bridge of nose and around back of head.
Might be able to see the white better once dry.
He is a spot gene carrier.

She started same time as Bayley did, but after she was all settled, Icarus still didn't progress. She's a skiddish ewe, so I waited, but eventually caught her and gave the big lamb a tug. He was slightly too big


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Bother mum til she gets up to feed em!


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Willow had m/f twins!
I was about to go to bed, but decided to fix a camera Tatiana knocked over again. 
Heard the unmistakable bah of a newborn and forgot about the cam, lol.

Willow × Sebastian 
Codon RR, 3x registries, white twins, a ram & ewe.


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## Longhornbreeder101

secuono said:


> Willow had m/f twins!
> I was about to go to bed, but decided to fix a camera Tatiana knocked over again.
> Heard the unmistakable bah of a newborn and forgot about the cam, lol.
> 
> Willow × Sebastian
> Codon RR, 3x registries, white twins, a ram & ewe.
> View attachment 82796View attachment 82797


They seem the tiniest in like weight look compared to the rest but all beautiful babies


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## secuono

Since so many decided to lamb close together, I had to rush to move the first 3 sets to communal living. They'll come out in a few more days.
Need to make several lambing jug panels! Totally ran out last night.

So far, 5 sets of twins & 1 single.


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Land whales


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Shelly had twin rams!
Shelly × Oreo, codon QR, BSSBA & OEBSR. Both have head marks. 
Waiting for them to dry to see if they have more white elsewhere. Dam is a spot carrier, sire is spotted.
Mom's milk seems to be a bit slow today, so gave them a bottle of colostrum.


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Periwinkle had triplets!
Periwinkle × Krillin, codon RR, 3x registries, black ram, black w/head mark ram & black ewe.
Again, doesn't seem to have much milk yet, so I bottle fed colostrum.


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Born so far-
9 rams
7 ewes
-----


I have to keep Sebastian ewelings, as he is sold.
3 ewes from him so far.
3 to lamb.

-----

I think I was either going to sell Krillin now or give him lots of ewes and then sell him next year.
3 ewes from him so far. 
3 to lamb.
One ewe is Lucy, spotted. Her lamb will be a carrier or maybe spotted. 


--------
There's 3 spot carrier rams available, QR, OEBSR+BSSBA. 

There's 3 white rams available, RR, 3× registries. 

There's 3 black rams available, RR, 3× registries. 


------

2 due to lamb by Apostle. Carriers or spotted lambs.

2 due to lamb by Oreo. Carriers or spotted lambs.

3 due to lamb by Magnemite. Carriers or spotted. 


------

Then 3 rams were put with all ewes after breeding season. Magnemite, Apostle & Magmar. I'll have to send in tissue samples to DNA test their lambs, if any are born.


If I hadn't of put rams back in, I'd be half done with lambing already. Lol


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Hirola had an ewe lamb!
Didn't feel another. 
Hirola × Sebastian, codon needs testing, 3x registries.


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## Hufflesheep

secuono said:


> Hirola had an ewe lamb!
> Didn't feel another.
> Hirola × Sebastian, codon needs testing, 3x registries.
> View attachment 82888View attachment 82889View attachment 82890View attachment 82891


I'm so jelly!! I'm waiting and waiting!   When did you set up your breeding groups?


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Hufflesheep said:


> I'm so jelly!! I'm waiting and waiting!   When did you set up your breeding groups?


October 15th
Moved it back 2wks than usual, so I had to wait 2 weeks than usual, then another extra week before they finally started. 





Hirola has just 1 lamb, she has milk, thank golly!
Peri had a drop of milk, so, 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞


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## secuono

Midnight feedings. 
Ran out of first brand of colostrum replacer.
Started the 2nd brand. Will finish it off in the morning, then head to store for lamb milk.
So hard to remember who I've fed with the triplets, lol.


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Lucia had a spotted ram!
Lucia × Magnemite, codon needs testing(QR/RR), OEBSR & BSSBA, single spotted ram.









Majin is lambing. Fiber mutt lambs.
Addie might be lambing soon.


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Addie had twin rams.
Addie × Apostle, codon QR, BSSBA & OEBSR, black, spot carriers.


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Updated to correct genders!
Majin had ewe twins.
Majin × Apostle. Fiber, meat mutts.

She may not like me, but she let me scoop up her lambs, bring them to the barn & put them in teats.


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## secuono

Got new colostrum replacer, in case any other ewes fail to produce milk.
Then a bag of lamb milk.
Stores don't carry bucket feeders for milk. Wanted to put them all together and try bucket feeding if the moms don't make milk.
Been chatting with some people about selling some of the bottle rams/wethers. Hopefully, at least 2 go. 

Working on dog hot wire today.

Put the waiting ewes in the yard behind house, opened the bale in the carport for them.
Ewes with lambs were let out to yard around barn. 
Out of lambing jugs again...lol.


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One of the triplets has a hock that buckles forward. Decided to put him in a brace for a few days and see if it helps any. Searching the net, looks like it happens in weak triplets/quads sometimes. So, hoping he'll be okay soon. 

I found my 4 bottle holder. Been using two bottles from it, but the other two don't have nipples for them. Ugh. It's from the UK, so idk where I'll be able to find replacements...
Looked at a few in store and none would work.


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Found the replacement nipples n ordered a few.


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Moved Majin, Hirola, Lucia, Addie & their lambs to communal living tonight. They and the bottle lambs got tagged, banded and tails measured.
Peri still doesn't have milk, lambs totally ignore her existence.
Shelly looks to be making some milk, enough to keep her lambs from mobbing me. So that's good.
No cute pics, have a horrible headache today. 
No new lambs, either, so it's laundry day! Lots of towels getting washed!


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Oh, Majin's twins are both girls! Whoops


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Bottle feeding the triplets, but she had a little milk, so stuck one under there. Enough for a few sips. Hopefully, she'll get more & one of them will remember that mom is food, not me! Lol. They totally ignore her...






Shelly has more milk now. Still gave them a bottle to make sure they're getting enough. They know mom is the milkbar.


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## Kusanar

Tails measured? What are you measuring for?


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Kusanar said:


> Tails measured? What are you measuring for?



Going to try to breed for very short tails. It's been done in a line of merino and it'd be nice to not bother with banding. Breed standards don't dictate anything about tail length, so I'm free to try to get them real short. Would probably take a long time, but oh well.
Longest newborn tail is 7in, shortest is 5in so far. A 2-3in newborn tail would be ideal.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

secuono said:


> Going to try to breed for very short tails. It's been done in a line of merino and it'd be nice to not bother with banding. Breed standards don't dictate anything about tail length, so I'm free to try to get them real short. Would probably take a long time, but oh well.
> Longest newborn tail is 7in, shortest is 5in so far. A 2-3in newborn tail would be ideal.


Do you track how many bones in the tail or the size/length of the bones? It would be interesting to see if as you get the length shorter if they are smaller bones or less bones.


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Since it's supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow, then potentially snow Friday, they won't go out until at least Friday.


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Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Do you track how many bones in the tail or the size/length of the bones? It would be interesting to see if as you get the length shorter if they are smaller bones or less bones.



Merino breeder used other breeds to get rapid results. I can't do that, so...
I'm measuring the tail from the underside, ruler against butt and down the length, ending where I feel the tip of the last bone.


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Going to try to breed for very short tails. It's been done in a line of merino and it'd be nice to not bother with banding. Breed standards don't dictate anything about tail length, so I'm free to try to get them real short. Would probably take a long time, but oh well.
> Longest newborn tail is 7in, shortest is 5in so far. A 2-3in newborn tail would be ideal.


Very cool. Is this the first generation you have been measuring?


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Kusanar said:


> Very cool. Is this the first generation you have been measuring?



I think I tried to before, but completely forgot after the first few. 😅
But I've got everyone measured this year!


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Vanilla had a big ram, don't think there's another. 
Vanilla × Sebastian, codon RR, 3x registries. 

Who wants a wether?? I've got a ton of em!! =/ 






Sugar looks like she may lamb soon...


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## secuono

Getting Sebastian ready for his trip to PA! Waiting on vet call to confirm an appointment next week & then hopefully in early April, he'll be on his way! Same breeder that bought Kris.

I have someone scheduled to show up this weekend for a wether bottle lamb.

I may have someone else to get two wether bottle lambs.

I may also have someone for a spot carrier, ram bottle lamb.

Lastly, the spotted ram lamb may have a buyer once weaned. Need to have him codon tested first.

Need to get new, decent pictures of them and compare the carriers to choose the best conformation ram. Cold, raining & dark, so, will take a little effort.


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Had vet out for Sugar. Seemed to have ringwomb, I was able to stretch it and get first lamb out. Doesn't seem to of been true ringwomb, so that's good. Vet pulled the second as she checked the ewe. Was told to get cmpk and watch the ewe.

Sugar × Sebastian 
Codon QR, 3x registries, ram & ewe.


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Got Sebastian's health certificate done while vet was out. And the lamb with the floppy leg got checked, too. Vet gave him bose shot and said no brace was best and in 3-5 days he should be fine.


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Greedy...She has a bin kept full of alfalfa mixed with a little sweet feed, but that's not good enough...


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## purplequeenvt

If you’ve got a ewe not dilating well or has a slow labor, it’s a good idea to give her calcium. Low calcium levels can stall labor and cause poor cervical dilation.


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purplequeenvt said:


> If you’ve got a ewe not dilating well or has a slow labor, it’s a good idea to give her calcium. Low calcium levels can stall labor and cause poor cervical dilation.



Yeah, I know that now that the vet told me.


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Bad news this morning, the ramling the vet pulled is dead. Looks like mom laid on him. Mom and eweling look okay.


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5th one has to wait.


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Sugar is acting weird. 

Might get vet out again. 

Ewenique's ram is still not getting enough milk. He's pictured earlier, white one, drinking from a bottle. I may supplement him when I feed the 5 others.


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Sugar was laying normally this morning!

Waiting on two people to pickup 3 bottle wethers!


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One Shelly wether & 2 Peri wethers left to their new homes!
Then, it was time for musical jugs & deep cleaning!







Shelly & ramling nursing.



Vanilla & ramling, Sugar & eweling.




So much muck!


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Sugar & eweling before moving.


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I forgot I had an easy way to record lamb activities!


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I am keeping-
0140 eweling by Bayley × Seb
0157 eweling by Sugar × Seb
0148 eweling by Peri × Krillin
0137 eweling by Saola × Krillin


I may keep one more by Seb & possibly 2 by Krillin.

The other 3 rams have so far only sired rams. 5 ewes are left by them to lamb.

I am thinking of keeping a ramling by Krillin & Seb, to replace them. We'll see in a few weeks.


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## secuono

Juliana had twin ewes!
Sending in samples to confirm sire on her lambs.
Either way, keeping one.
Sire is supposed to be Apostle, but Billy was seriously pissed about being stuck with Michaelis & not being able to breed. 🙄😡
So, in 2wks, I'll know if Apostle or Billy is the sire.


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I want to keep Hirola's eweling, she's so cute and level.














Phoebe bird


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Look at this fat little 😴 face


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Got the creep feed area up, now to blend the feed.


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He's more full and not hunched up today. 🙂
Saw him nurse.😀
Later, saw him drink water... 😖
Now I need to find him a new home as a bottle baby & pull him. 😢





set up the creep feeding area. Added rubber mat to trough after.


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Yamcha had a ramling!
Yamcha × Oreo, codon QR, OEBSR & BSSBA, spot carrier.


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Not publicly posting birth announcements on FB has been great. Usually, tons of people flood & confuse me, but now, nada! 
Trying to get standing side pics of all the available lambs, missed 2 yet again. 😅
Will post those pics here when I eventually get the last 2 pics I need. Lol


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Omg they are adorable!


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Posted 6 rams and 2 mutts on my FB Page. Will add them to website soon.


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This girl is pending. Waiting on the other Cali ewe to lamb. If she has an ewe, same buyer will take both. It's the same guy who has been buying sheep from me the previous two years from Georgia. Gotta remember to discount him. I think he wanted a ram as well, but I only had one unrelated ram that I used for breeding that fit his needs. I'll see if someone else has one for him.


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I may have a buyer for 2 bottle wethers.
And then a buyer for a spot carrier ram from Washington State! They may get another lamb if a spot is born.


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Updated website with info on current lambs born & ewelings being kept.
Need to add pics to the birth list tomorrow.


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## Kusanar

I love the face on #135 he's a cutie!


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## secuono

Named the current 5 keeper ewelings-
149, Sequoia
140, Magnolia
157, Sassafras
148, Mimosa
137, Katsura



Who is left to lamb?

Oreo- Eloise
Magnemite- Patchie, Latte
Krillin- Fossa, Piccolo, Lucy



Then mutts from Tatiana, Kibito, Seadra, Eevee.
And purebred that'll need DNA parental testing- Articuno, Raichu, Clefairy, Kakuna, Lapras.
The sires would be Magnemite, Apostle, Billy or Magmar.
If Billy managed to sire a few ewelings, I'll list him for sale this year instead of waiting for next year.


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## secuono

I'm wondering if I should keep a Sebby ramling...Out of Willow from California, so he'll help diversify more than just the ewes will. 🤔
He looks cute and long, nice so far.


Also thought of keeping a Krillin ram lamb. 🤔 
Waiting on 2 non-spot ewes to lamb and one spotted ewe to lamb. Hoping the spotted ewe has an eweling this year! I want to keep it!
Then, if the other two also have ewelings, I'll sell Fossa's to GA buyer and Piccolo eweling I'll keep. Hoping they have twins!
If those only have ewelings, that'd be best. Then, it would be 0135 ramling that might be kept. Mom from Cali, too.


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Eloise had m/f twins!
Eloise × Oreo, codon needs testing(QR/RR), OEBSR & BSSBA. 
Keeping the eweling.


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The ewe came first.





Then the ram said, get outta the way, I'm coming out hot! 😅


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🤔 I think Latte will lamb today.


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Still watching Latte....


But, guess what Patchie had this morning?!

  
A ram and ewe, near mirror markings. Keeping the eweling!
Patchie × Magnemite.


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Since Peri, Shelly & their bottle lambs are taking up barn space, I let Juliana & Yamcha w/lambs back out. I still need to tag Yamcha's ram. 
Moving Ewenique's ram in with the bottle lambs tomorrow, in his own pen, and he & Shelly ram will be wethered & picked up Sunday.


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Had to lock up Yamcha & her lamb. She opened a gate to wander in another yard, leaving her lamb & me super confused & freaking out. 😑




Eloise and twins




Patchie and twins






Latte is mad at me for moving her lambs into the barn. 😅




More newborn lamb feet!


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Who is left??

Piccolo, Fossa & Lucy.
Only Piccolo looks like she may lamb soon.


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Codon came back for this guy, QR.


Sent Hirola's eweling's sample the next day, so should get her results soon. 

Have to take and send other lamb samples tomorrow for codon.

Hopefully, parent sample results should come in next week.


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Latte twins
Ram, spotted-








Ewe, looks to be just black?-


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Patchie twins.
Ewe-












Ram-


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Names to pick from-

Sycamore, Maple, Ash, Birch, Sequoia, Oak, Spruce, Cedar, Banyan, Papaya, Pawpaw, Magnolia, Hickory, Hawthorn, Elm, Fir, Aspen, Sassafras, Neem, Mahogany, Hemlock, Larch, Locust, Pine, Eucalyptus, Baobab, Mimosa, Juniper & Balsa.

Keeper ewelings-
149, Sequoia 
140, Magnolia 
165, Papaya 
157, Sassafras 
148, Mimosa 
137, Katsura 
161, Juniper 
And one of Juliana's ewelings will be Balsa, 158 or 159, waiting to confirm sire by DNA.

Names left-
Sycamore, Maple, Ash, Birch, Oak, Spruce, Cedar, Banyan, Pawpaw, Hickory, Hawthorn, Elm, Fir, Aspen, Neem, Mahogany, Hemlock, Larch, Locust, Pine, Eucalyptus, Baobab.


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## secuono

I discovered another ewe who I didn't know carried the spot gene! Latte!
🤯🥳
That makes 3 separate lines with surprise spot gene in them! Plus the other two that are more inbred and known.


34 lambs born so far, 1 died from mom laying on him.
17 rams
16 ewes


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## secuono

I may have a buyer from Oklahoma for several lambs-
Ram 0138, both mutt ewes, ewe 0139, ewe 0143 & ewe 0134.
Waiting on deposit now.


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Two rams may be turned into wethers, 0160 & 0162. Waiting on deposits.


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Trying to get the bottle ewe to realize that she's a sheep...


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## SA Farm

My big bottle ewe is 2 and still tries to jump up on me occasionally 🤦‍♀️


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Patchie eweling has a weak neck, Latte lambs a bit slow to nurse, all 4 got colostrum replacer yesterday. Patchie eweling is getting milk replacer, got a vit+selenium oral gel today, too. 
Let Yamcha and lamb out. I'm keeping the gate tied shut & jumping it, so, all should be fine...lol


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SA Farm said:


> My big bottle ewe is 2 and still tries to jump up on me occasionally 🤦‍♀️



😅
My first bottle baby, Lolla, was always a little more friendly.
Last year's triplet eweling I kept and supplemented with a bottle, she went through a "leave me alone" phase and is now more friendly, but still a sheep.
Maybe it's because I try to make sure they grow up a sheep, outside, doing sheepie things, IDK. But this lamb will also calm down, she's getting nothing from her mom, so she'll be more clingy for awhile longer.
Worse yet, I can't let her and her mom out! Because she will find a way out and try to follow me. Hopefully, I can get her eating alfalfa and she will not be as obsessed with milk. I tried cold milk freely available, but she chugs it. Ugh. Cannot switch her to it and detach from me early because of that.

Edit.
Didn't finish my point.
Point is that I don't have the bottle sheep problem. 
But...
I do have adult sheep, gotten as lambs or adults, raised on dams, that can be overly friendly and such. So many bruises on my feet and legs...lol


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Patchie's eweling can better hold her head today, should be able to stop bottle feeding soon. 🤞


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Let Eloise and her twins out.

The 2 bottle wethers have gone home.

I'm searching for hay to buy! Eek!!

Just have Peri eweling on the bottle to care for. Will try setting up the bottle holder in her creep area and hope she uses it. Tied two bottles up last night, but it looks like someone rubbed them down and then yanked the nipple right out...lol. Probably Peri, she's been rubbing her head on the bottles while I feed the lambs the last couple of days. 

Latte twins look to be doing good, too.


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## secuono

Wide angle does odd things...Eloise & Yamcha w/lambs. They're like...compressed looking? Lol



Fluffed and moved hay over to shrink panels around it. Need to get some new bales or buy a lot of grass pellets...


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Naming this one Aspen


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Have hay lined up for Thursday!
Lots of grass & alfalfa pellets will be fed til then!


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Tossed the 3 yearling & small rams out with the horses. Should of done that right after the shearer canceled. Idk why I didn't. 🤦🏽‍♀️
Filling the expecting ewes' troughs 2x a day and adding lots of water. To stop choke and make them feel more full.
Thursday, more hay will arrive. 
Will have to do the same for the ewes with lambs starting tonight. 
Been raining every other day. Grow, grass, grow! 
The spotted eweling was nursing on her own today! 
Thinking I'll move Patchie, Latte & lambs to communal living with Peri tomorrow. Then outside in a day or two afterwards.


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🤔
Got a bit bored after spending all day outside. So, decided to make breeding groups, if Krillin sells.

Billy- Evangeline, Clefairy, Ewenique, Eloise, Sugar.
Mich- Piccolo, Saola, Juliana, Addie, Willow, Raichu.
Oreo- Lucy, Yamcha, Periwinkle, Lucia, Kakuna.
Mag- Vanilla, Shelly, Patchie, Icarus, Lapras.
Apostle- Fossa, Bayley, Latte, Hirola, Articuno.

Going to look if any store has sales on fencing & tposts to finally put up that 9th paddock!

Then, I'll see if it's possible to fence to the pond on two sides, where it'll keep sheep in, since the only option would be jumping into the water...
It'll be the 10th paddock and cross the pond overflow, be the back side of the arena area and use up that steep section of hill. I'll have to shorten the horse track to make it actually enclosed for sheep.


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## secuono

I'm waiting for my pallets to be available again.
Will use 3-4 of them per tree to protect them from sheep.
Need to find the best tree watering bags, too...
3 mulberry trees from the giant one I lost. And 12 willows from my other two trees.



Kakuna waiting for treats


Hired my sheep to do some mowing...lol


Edit.
Looks like it's cheaper to make my own out of bins & drilling tiny diameter holes.


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Paddock number 9 will be up soon!!




Also got alfalfa for the sheep while I wait for Thursday hay delivery.
Tposts, fence roll and alfalfa all were price matched. Saved $24, gas & a 50min trip north.. Yippie!


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Most work is done!
It's half an acre.


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Raining today. Ick.

Let Peri out. After eating, she decided to pick fights with literally every other ewe who would humor her. 🤦🏽‍♀️


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Got Sequoia's codon results, RR!


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I hate wind...
Got the new section of fence clipped on. 
Moms & lambs are out on it.
Old hay delivered. Decent once opened up.
Turns out, the guy cut our field one year and he works with DH sometimes.


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Sebby is leaving tomorrow!!
I need to take pictures with him!


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Most littles are in the barn, COLD tonight!


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🙄 Seb's trip is postponed. 
They picked up animals bigger than they expected and now he won't fit. 
Ever since he's grown his fleet, quality all across the board seems to of gone down...


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Another day trying to get Mimosa to be a sheep.




Hirola got dewormed. I'll have to monitor closely again. Is it the lambing causing it?? Ugh, hope she grows out of it. 
203 also needed deworming, but she wasn't as bad. 
3rd one was great and 4th has no lamb, may not even be bred and doesn't like me enoughto sneak up on her... The 4 Cali sheep is who I'm talking about.


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CDT day for 12 lambs!
First, lure moms in with food.
Then shoo lambs all the way in.
Last, go hunting for 3 that escaped. 😅


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Piccolo had a ram lamb, sire Krillin, 3× registries, codon RR.




Still waiting on Lucy & Fossa. No signs, though, that they're bred.


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Piccolo and ramling this morning. 

Total of 19 rams & 16 ewes born!
Have Lucy & Fossa left to go, but they have no udder, no changes & no roundness. So, they may not be bred.


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Piccolo's ramling has incredible tail control!













🤔 5-6× 14oz bottles a day. Is she a bit pudgy? Lol








The first spotted born this year, Aspen. 




Spotted eweling I'm keeping, Holly. She gets a few ounces of bottle milk still, making her more friendly & I kinda don't want to stop...Nurses on mom just fine.


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I remembered that Mimosa's sire is Krillin, whose Sire is Kris. Both are beefcakes! So, hoping that Mimosa is also a beefcupcake! Lol

Some more pics.






Sebby went to his new home! I'm sad, but happy he has a good home! I waited with him once it got dark, he really appreciated it. 
Turns out, newer Chevy trucks are junk. 2015 are best. Transporter has 2 trucks out of commission from repeat problems!


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Got parentage test results back, both of Apostle's ewes have offspring by him, not Billy! 
Keeping one of the Juliana × Apostle ewelings. Other will be available. 
Both of Addie's lambs are rams, by Apostle, both available, too.


Idk if I updated on the 9th paddock, it's done.

7 more lambs got their CDT.

Last 10 will get them next week..

Got the deposit for the 6 lambs to Oklahoma!


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Looks like I didn't send in codon tests for Juliana twins. Need to do that tomorrow. 

5 others came in!
Holly, spotted eweling I'm keeping is RR!
Her brother is unfortunately QQ.
Eloise eweling I'm keeping is QR.
Latte eweling I'm keeping is QR.
Her brother is RR.


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Moved the rams & their LGD over, then let in the moms n lambs.


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Decided to keep these two rams. They are replacing their sires, Krillin & Sebastian.

0155, Sycamore, Vanilla × Sebastian, codon RR, white, single.
0135, Hemlock, Evangeline × Krillin, codon RR, white, twin.

I was going to keep the ram from Willow, but realized that Willow and Evangeline have the same sire, so that's no good.

Edit.
Thinking more about it... Have the yearling from last year, he is already registered, sire is Sebastian. Wouldn't it be better to keep him, since his dam is Hirola, from Cali, but not related to the other Cali ewes?

Keeping these now instead...

0135, Hemlock, Evangeline × Krillin, codon RR, white, twin.

0129, Magmar, Hirola x Sebastian, codon needs testing, white, single.


Magmar




Hemlock


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Looks like I'll be able to move the ewes n babies over to paddock #2 as soon as I put up fencing to keep lambs from disappearing in the sinkholes!


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Caved and put them in a real green paddock. Fenced the two fruit trees off.


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## secuono

...I don't want to keep rams...If I have a bunch of ewes by them, why bother with their rams? It'll just shrink the pool and I won't have new unrelated lambs to sell.
Okay, I'm so wishy washy now.

I'll sell the 2020 ram, by Seb. 
Keep the 2021 ram by Krillin, because he is out of a Cali ewe. So will diversify the flock more. 
I just won't keep a Seb ramling at all.


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May have a buyer for Krillin, too!


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Someone in Wisconsin contacted me about swapping ramlings. Hopefully, I can get ewelings along with him. If so, I'll do that.


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Website & FB Page updated. 
Missing a few lamb pics, but otherwise current.


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These are the current rams left. 
Who needs a pet wether or three?


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Krillin went to live in Ohio today!



Mimosa, his daughter, and Krillin.


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Another paddock
Kinda killing the previous ones...why I need more of them. 😅


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3 trees planted!


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secuono said:


> Someone in Wisconsin contacted me about swapping ramlings. Hopefully, I can get ewelings along with him. If so, I'll do that.



This failed.


Moving on.


Looks like I will have one black ramling and the white yearling left soon. Hopefully...


Shearing day is Wednesday!!
After noon, too!


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Tatiana looks like she'll be lambing!

4th tree planted!

Eevee trying to play with the lambs.


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Got a letter about taxes and the business and such. I have literally no clue what to fill in, cannot leave stuff blank, but nothing is used. A shovel, scissors, idk...syringes? What the heck do you put when a farmer of livestock w/o heavy equipment?? 
 100% 

I'm so lost! 
All I know is I'm getting taxed, AGAIN, for crap I already own, even if it's worthless and whatnot. 
No wonder everyone just goes under the radar...


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Called the deputy commissioner's office, then checked some paperwork, then called back. Emailed the form and it's all gone poof!
Turns out, PayPal doesn't know the difference between a real business and a farm business! So, I don't need to pay my town anything!
I just need to repeat this little dance, every year, of emailing them the form and the reason why it's not needed to be taxed and I'm golden!

Holly & Mimosa


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More first CDTs for lambs today. 
Process now starts all over again for the 2nd shot. 
Shearing is tomorrow!   
Since it's after Noon, I'll move the ewes to the small yard around barn & the rams into the little area right by the barn for the night. 
Tomorrow, I'll move the rams over and into the barn. Then the ewes will go in. 
I got the 3 wandering rams in the back yard, will need to move them over with the mature rams today.

Also got headshots for 8 of the lambs. 15 more to get! And I need to castrate 4 rams, too.


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Got the 4 castrated.


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Is Fossa bred or not? 🤔





Yellow n blue



Some of them lay still, others refuse.


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## farmerjan

secuono said:


> Got a letter about taxes and the business and such. I have literally no clue what to fill in, cannot leave stuff blank, but nothing is used. A shovel, scissors, idk...syringes? What the heck do you put when a farmer of livestock w/o heavy equipment??
> 100%
> 
> I'm so lost!
> All I know is I'm getting taxed, AGAIN, for crap I already own, even if it's worthless and whatnot.
> No wonder everyone just goes under the radar...


If you are running it as a farm business, get a farm cpa to do your taxes.  We do the basics, then take the farm info, all the papers the cpa wants, and they do the taxes.  They have found different deductions, how to do depreciation and all that.  All our equipment,  except the discbine, is more than 20 years old.   We buy and sell cattle.  I understand that you do not "deal" with alot of buying and selling, and don't have much equipment.... but didn't you get a new (newer) tractor last year or 2 that you were doing the grading of the flat where you were going to build a barn?   There is no way we can keep up with the changing tax laws.... paying for a cpa has paid for its self 1000 times over.... 
You get anything from any "official government"  be it state or federal or anything, you call the cpa or send it to them and they tell you what to do or not do.  One wrong answer, even if you think it is right or honest, can be construed wrong and cost you.... and it will continue to cost you down the road.


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Got all the rams together. They look like crap, dang pup. Moved pup out with the other lgd. Won't be able to leave her with them. Ugh.
Hoping they look okay under all that wool.


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Got the rest of the headshots!
Now to wait on shearer & later to figure out which registries allow emailed pics & which I have to print out.


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At the end, I ran around like a headless chicken looking for 148. Where's 148?!! Omg, did she get eaten?!!
Oh, it's Mimosa...😅


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Magnemite!




Kibito eating thorns




Eevee






Tatiana, will lamb eventually 




The studs






All except 3 fleeces will be tossed out!




Ah, shorn sheep on lush pasture. Wonderful!




Kibito FINALLY looking great!! Free feeding alfalfa during winter & spring is the key!


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The yearling & last lamb. Who wants em?


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The 3 best fleeces









Fixing lots of hoses...













the mulberry trees dried out...ugh. so I bought a lot of hosing & still ended up short. Added wool to try n help them hold moisture


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I pulled a black fleece, too, I believe it's Eevee's.


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## ohiogoatgirl

What was wrong with the rest of the fleeces?


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ohiogoatgirl said:


> What was wrong with the rest of the fleeces?



Not worth the hassle. 
Some have wool break, others just filthy, rams are all crap because of the LGD puppy. Addie always has junk. Tatiana apparently roos yearly, so her's is junk, unless I hand cut it in time. 

Shearing went up in price, $150 more! So, I'll have to hope fleeces will be worth it next year. Go through the coats, fix them and get them on the best sheep in October or so.


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Doesn't look like I posted it, 109 Clefairy, looks possibly bred.
Fossa and others didn't look it.
Still waiting on Tatiana to have her lambs.


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Magmar, the yearling from last year, is sold. I might have the last ramling also sold. Not sure if they want him as a wether or ram yet...


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One of the Krillin ewelings has developed a white chin. 🤔 Keeper, so we'll see what happens.
CDTs for 12 lambs!
Microchips for 4 lambs!
127 might be bred, 112 has a tiny udder, 109 has a small udder. Didn't see anything on the others.


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All lambs, that are currently on the ground plus the yearling ram, are sold!!


 The yearling ewes will need their lambs DNA tested, obviously.


----------



## farmerjan

Congrats on getting all the lambs that you wanted sold.  That is wonderful for you and for the buyers.


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Last guy's head shot, picking up print and forms will be filled & mailed tomorrow.


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Saw my first coyote!!


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Saw my first coyote!!
> View attachment 84503View attachment 84504View attachment 84505


Not sure if I should say cool or not. At my farm? yes, that would be cool, but your sheep are small enough to be potential prey... so not so cool


----------



## Ridgetop

How many LGDs do you have?  I saw what looked like an Anatolian - is that the only one?  How many acres?


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She's by a spot sire, carrier ewe. Brother is very minimally spotted. I wonder if the molted black is a different version of spotting or what. 🤔


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Paddock #10 will be put in soon!
Hopefully get most of the posts in tomorrow. Have to fence out pond for safety.


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## farmerjan

Everyone that can is fencing it seems this year.   Be great when you get it done, give you more rotations and flexibility with the sheep....


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farmerjan said:


> Everyone that can is fencing it seems this year.   Be great when you get it done, give you more rotations and flexibility with the sheep....



I heard of someone on 2 acres who has made lots of 30×50ft paddocks! 
Can't imagine the cost, if it's woven. 
But I'd love to have the money to do it, too.


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Got Magmar's headshot. Mugshot? I should change it to mugshot, it's funnier...
Anywho, got to get him BSSBA registered.
He and ramling 0153 are going to Maryland next week.





Second group of lambs got their 2nd CDT vaccine. Next week, the last group will get theirs.

Also, Clefairy looks to be ready to lamb any day now! So fast! Can't wait to see what she has!
Tatiana has more milk, but doesn't look as close.


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> I heard of someone on 2 acres who has made lots of 30×50ft paddocks!
> Can't imagine the cost, if it's woven.
> But I'd love to have the money to do it, too.


I'm planning to do something similar to that when I get my sheep. My farm is horse fenced with woven wire, we will be putting a hot wire on top this summer to keep them from pushing the fence down, then I will use step in posts and electric wire to make the sheep pens along the fence line and just clip into the electric on the pain fence to provide power. That way I can have the sheep strip the fence lines down pretty much bare since the horses let them grow up.


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Decided to list 3 mature ewes for sale.


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Need to go back out with string to get one row of posts straight...
It'll go up to the pond, followed path to the halfway point and then down to arena fence.
Red line.






And then, the other half of the pond will connect to #12 that touches #9. It'll make it more narrow by the road.


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Got most of the next paddock done.
Need another roll of fencing to finish... =/


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The first lamb of the year to go, ramling Sycamore!
Plus last year's lamb, yearling Magmar.
Both off to Maryland.


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Majin will be picked up mid next week!


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0154 & 0142 wethers will be picked up early next week!


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## farmerjan

That is great that they are sold and getting picked up in a timely fashion.


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Sucks that I'm not keeping the white lamb...






pretty sure both Kibito and Seadra are bred.


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Moved onto newest paddock!
They'll have to occasionally use the pony track to move about.
Looked up the plan pic, because I don't think my numbering was right.
This is #10. Next one will go by #9, I'll redo their numbers later to be consecutive as the sheep walk through them.


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It's a mess, need to find original pic to edit...
But this is what I'm hoping to do before the end of the year & the order they'll be in.
#10 will be thinner because it's by the open road and I hate that, but need to use it. I'll either fully fence the pond out again or end the fencing over the pond edge.
#11 I just finished. It's not as huge as it looks here.
#12 will use more of the slope #11 is on and continue enough to eventually connect to...
#13! Which will be on the very steep section running towards pond. It'll be fenced from that long rut, but may end fencing over pond edge as well.
hoping that will be all and no more paddocks will be put in.
Rotating every 5 days gives me 65 days rest before sheep return. I'll have the rams in either the paddock directly behind or one back.
I'd also be able to have 7 breeding groups.


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## farmerjan

Looks like you are reaching the goal.  That is great to be able to rotate them through.  I assume you will not be making any hay on your place and just buy in what you need.  With that much rotation, you will help to cut down on your hay needs anyway.  How much do the horses use?  You still have several don't you?  Maybe I missed where you sold more?


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I sure hope that straw net is biodegradable...


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## farmerjan

None of the net wraps on the big round bales is biodegradable... I am not sure what you got. We have to pick up any we do not get off the hay rolls but we mostly take the rolls out in the field and cut and then pull off the net wrap before we set down a bale.  The calves can get chunks of it and it has been found in some cows guts and stopped them up if it is in too big a wad to pass through the rumen into the intestines.    It is made to be weather resistant so the rolls hold their shape and last and actually shed more water when kept outside.  We use it as seldom as we can... but sometimes if the bigger "string" baler has a breakdown, we will use the net wrap one to get the hay up if it is threatening rain or something.  We have one guy that we custom bale for that wants the net wrap... and that baler was part of the purchase from the deceased friend's equipment, so we kept it.  Net wrap also costs about 300 a roll that goes in the baler... adds about $3 a roll to the cost... paid by the roll.... and he wants the smaller rolls since he has a smaller tractor to feed with.... 800lb or so 4x5 rolls... our big rolls are 1200 lbs 5x5 or 5x6 size....


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farmerjan said:


> None of the net wraps on the big round bales is biodegradable... I am not sure what you got. We have to pick up any we do not get off the hay rolls but we mostly take the rolls out in the field and cut and then pull off the net wrap before we set down a bale.  The calves can get chunks of it and it has been found in some cows guts and stopped them up if it is in too big a wad to pass through the rumen into the intestines.    It is made to be weather resistant so the rolls hold their shape and last and actually shed more water when kept outside.  We use it as seldom as we can... but sometimes if the bigger "string" baler has a breakdown, we will use the net wrap one to get the hay up if it is threatening rain or something.  We have one guy that we custom bale for that wants the net wrap... and that baler was part of the purchase from the deceased friend's equipment, so we kept it.  Net wrap also costs about 300 a roll that goes in the baler... adds about $3 a roll to the cost... paid by the roll.... and he wants the smaller rolls since he has a smaller tractor to feed with.... 800lb or so 4x5 rolls... our big rolls are 1200 lbs 5x5 or 5x6 size....



No, the straw roll for seeding.


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Ugh, I'll have to cut this hill out and then redo trench, last add stone dust.
Then, I can seed & hay it to grow grass.


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## secuono

secuono said:


> No, the straw roll for seeding.


Looked it up. "Photodegradable netting."
Had to Google that one.
Needs UV light to vanish over time.


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farmerjan said:


> Looks like you are reaching the goal.  That is great to be able to rotate them through.  I assume you will not be making any hay on your place and just buy in what you need.  With that much rotation, you will help to cut down on your hay needs anyway.  How much do the horses use?  You still have several don't you?  Maybe I missed where you sold more?



Gave up on hay making. 20k for equipment & storage & maintenance & learning how & all that VS a 1k budget every year for 20yrs. The latter made far more sense and much simpler!

Still need to get the new building ordered though...

Rotation is just to keep worm loads down, as I'm heavily stocked.

Roughly 30 mini sheep & 5 ponies went through 10 big bales, 5×5ft, 1,000lbs or so. All were put out on the 20acres at the start of December? Ponies may of been moved out sooner. Sheep brought in too soon, February. Because they were supposed to be shorn, but that didn't happen, so they used up the last of the hay and then had to buy a bit more!

Hoping to get very soft, clean hay from now on. Should cut waste done by crazy picky sheep! Need to get more hay in asap for the ponies currently.


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## farmerjan

I had never heard of photodegradable netting.... and from what I looked up after reading your post and out of curiosity, it says 90 plus days according to the amount of ultraviolet light.  So, I guess this is a good opportunity for you to do some "research" on it and report back to us.  I know that the straw will be degrading (composting) as the grass grows up through it and it will stabilize and even feed the grass seed.... will be interesting in how fully it breaks down this straw retaining stuff,  and how fast it degrades.  
Thanks .

Yeah, investing in hay equipment plus the time and all is not worth it if you don't have alot of animals to justify it... plus the time it takes to make it.... Believe me, we sometimes even question our sanity and we make ALOT of hay.  Sounds like what you need/want for the sheep is a good 2nd cutting orchard grass hay... we make some that is very "bladey" and the 2nd cutting is a soft - not stalky - hay that we sell to horse customers.  The cattle do well on the 1st cutting that is coarser, and the mixed grass hay we make on rented and/or "given to us to just make the hay " ground.  Still we put out 1,000's of dollars in fertilizer even on those type places to justify the time and expense to make it.... not much sense to make hay on marginal ground and get 1-2 rolls to the acre, when fertilizer to feed the ground will give us 2-5 rolls.... It costs the same to run over the same amount of ground regardless of what we get.   We often buy hay that others have that is surplus, because they are selling it for what it costs us to make it or below our costs.  We have been rotating the cattle more, partially for the worm situation also,   and making less hay on "pasture fields" if there is fencing, and sometimes buying extra instead.  If we get an extra month or so out of some of the places with grazing, why make the hay.... let the cows do the harvesting.  Of course many places there is no fences, or no water, and without long term leases, you cannot afford to do fencing.... It is too risky to even do electric on some of the rented ground because of the heavy deer population here, and liability issues if cattle get out.  But many places there is no water even if the "iffy fences" could be fixed.... and it costs too much to be hauling water everywhere.  That negates the advantage of the pasture.....

Good luck finding the hay you want.  If you find a good supplier, stick with them and don't haggle alot on the price.  Then if we have a dry year, they will take care of you because you are a good customer.  We have a couple of horse people that we have had for over 20 years.... they sometimes help unload if they are there at home when we deliver, they have stayed with us all along, and when we were in dry conditions we made sure we had enough hay put back to get them through with what they "normally got" on a yearly average.  They always have the money there, or a couple will call within a day or 2 of delivery and say how much and have a check in the mail, and we get it within a week.   NOTHING WORSE, than someone that drags out paying..... and we don't tolerate customers like that anymore.  Hay out of the field is pay when you get it..... non-negotiable.  We will give a new customer a couple bales to take home and see if their animals like it before we take them on as a customer... and they know the terms up front.


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farmerjan said:


> photodegradable netting....  report back to us.


April 9th & 11th, the two long sides got the straw rolls. Looks like I posted to FB and not here, or I missed it. So posting now to find it later to update.


farmerjan said:


> Sounds like what you need/want for the sheep is a good 2nd cutting orchard grass hay...


Orchard, timothy, pasture grass & legu mix, as long as it's very soft, leafy, clean, they eat it. Anything else and they become high maintenance, prissy drama queens...


farmerjan said:


> - hay that we sell to horse customers.


I have ponies & minis on a hay only diet. They will eat anything. Yikes! I had to fence off moldy, rotting hay because the idiots were eating it...Stemmy, odd plants mixed in(safe ones) they eat happily. They're not prissy OTTBs, lol.


farmerjan said:


> get 1-2 rolls to the acre,


This is a weird thing for me.
I've watched the field next door for years before we bought it. A ton of bales were removed per cutting. Same when we bought it and managed to get someone to make hay off it. But they always walked around claiming it wasn't worth it and not much would come off. 🙄 Then someone else agrees and they get a lot off it. Lol, wtf.


farmerjan said:


> the heavy deer population here,


They're always taking down my pony track. Redoing it with high tensile and then 2 hot wires. So they will bounce off soon!


farmerjan said:


> Good luck finding the hay you want.


Thanks.
I had a great guy, but quality plummeted in the few years since I first bought from him! 


farmerjan said:


> had for over 20 years.... they sometimes help unload if


I've always helped unload. It's the worst shyt. I hate it more than you can believe. Squares were created by a demon! Lol. Excellent to easily dish out, but total hell to stack and to pay for. All deliveries have had stacking included, but I always feel weird just standing there, so I help. Same with the feed store. I have to help toss it into the van...lol
I'm in some hay maker groups on FB and OMG, some of them are so nasty towards horse owners! I've blocked several! Hating on your customers and mocking them is a no-no, I won't do business with such people. I can't control how picky my animals are. I've learned a lot about hay from them, too.



farmerjan said:


> " will call within a day or 2 of delivery and say how much and have a check in the mail, and we get it within a


I always pay in cash for nearly everything that's not from a store. Once it's offloaded, cash is handed over.
I don't accept anything else for my sheep, too. Cash at pickup or go to the bank, no if, ands or buts.


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Listed the 4 fleeces, now I wait...


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Two more are about to leave!


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Moved them, they're too loud!


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There's a sudden gas shortage. 
Wether buyer has to postpone. 
Need to contact Majin buyer to see if they'll also change their pickup date.


----------



## farmerjan

The gov declared emergency status.... the computer stuff that was hacked into that shut down the flow of gas etc in the pipeline... Parts of NC have NO GAS at the pumps.  I filled up yesterday morning... $2.65. Then went 50 miles & back to farm Mon aft...... Left this morning with neatly 3/4 tank...gas was 2.89 and 2.79 at another place;  figured I would fill up this eve after I got back.;   went to farm and back and was running on the E so stopped in Greenville (12 miles north of home) to fill up at the BP @ 2.83 because I wasn't sure if I would make it.  Got the 10 miles down here to the local  stations, and it was $ 3.29...!!!!!!....... That's $.40+ more than this morning.  Lucky I stopped and filled before I got right here..... Talk is they will get it back on line by this weekend... but heard from someone that has some relatives working in the industry that it will be up to 3 WEEKS.....
And people wonder why I keep preaching stocking up on stuff.... everything will be going up now with the price of gas / fuel going up.....


----------



## Kusanar

farmerjan said:


> The gov declared emergency status.... the computer stuff that was hacked into that shut down the flow of gas etc in the pipeline... Parts of NC have NO GAS at the pumps.  I filled up yesterday morning... $2.65. Then went 50 miles & back to farm Mon aft...... Left this morning with neatly 3/4 tank...gas was 2.89 and 2.79 at another place;  figured I would fill up this eve after I got back.;   went to farm and back and was running on the E so stopped in Greenville (12 miles north of home) to fill up at the BP @ 2.83 because I wasn't sure if I would make it.  Got the 10 miles down here to the local  stations, and it was $ 3.29...!!!!!!....... That's $.40+ more than this morning.  Lucky I stopped and filled before I got right here..... Talk is they will get it back on line by this weekend... but heard from someone that has some relatives working in the industry that it will be up to 3 WEEKS.....
> And people wonder why I keep preaching stocking up on stuff.... everything will be going up now with the price of gas / fuel going up.....


People are being stupid and causing more issues. Where I am, we aren't even supplied by the affected pipeline but people are still driving pickup trucks to the gas station and filling multiple 55 gallon barrels in the back. One guy had one of those big white cube totes (the 275 gallon ones with the metal cage around it) just about full in a picture I saw on FB yesterday. In our area there isn't actually a shortage but because people all ran out yesterday and bought hundreds of gallons more than they would usually, of course the gas stations are running out. 

My husband needed to get gas to get to work, yesterday he couldn't get near a station on the way home so he stopped this morning and found a station that did have gas but only premium.


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## secuono

Majin buyer is still set to come!
Decided to leave her with the flock until the morning of pickup. 

I may be taking the wethers with me and meet the buyer on a trip we're doing.


----------



## secuono

Clefairy had a ram lamb!
Sire should be Magnemite, need to check records.


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## secuono

3 ladies got their travel papers to Iowa!!




Majin is surprisingly good on a lead! 
Leaving soon.




The wether boys will be going with us to see cattle, though, their buyer will pick them up down there before seeing the mooers.


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## secuono

Majin did excellent on the lead! She was hiding that skill! So weird, I never practice leading with any of them.


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## secuono

155 is getting picked up soon.
141 needs to see the vet to travel in June.
Pulled Hirola & Evangeline, as they're too thin. Free feeding alfalfa pellets & obviously weaning of their lambs.
New hay arrived!


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## secuono

Forgot to take weights...
Do these numbers really matter? Not so much, no. 

9wks, single, 0141, 47#
8wks & 1 day, single, 0155, 50#
9wks, twin, 0142, 35#
8wks & 4 days, twin, 0154, 33#


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## farmerjan

Is that the new lamb in the last picture?  The one you weren't sure was bred for awhile?


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## secuono

farmerjan said:


> Is that the new lamb in the last picture?  The one you weren't sure was bred for awhile?



Clefairy looked first to go and had her lamb.

Tatiana looks next to go!

127 & 112 have tiny udders, pretty sure they're bred.

Fossa may not be bred, need to go stare at her for awhile, hard to tell when she won't walk by me slowly.

Lucy, mature spot ewe, don't look bred. Really annoyed with Lucy, since she's had lambs last year and previous years...


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## secuono

Pudgy, freeloading Lucy, no udder, no lamb, annoyed shepherd...




Clefairy & ramling




Moved the ladies to another paddock!






0112 on far right, looks bred by tiny udder and fullness.




put up a tarp for shade, hurt myself immediately after finishing. Lol


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## secuono

0155 off to his new home in Maryland!




Little Clefairy boy.




More tarps needed...lol




Sardines...lol






Hirola looking cute


----------



## secuono

Had to cancel the mooer trip & meeting the wether buyer, no gas...
Maybe next week!


----------



## secuono

BSSBA CoRs arrived today!
NABSSAR CoRs should arrive Monday or Tuesday. 
OEBSR a week or two after that, hopefully.


----------



## secuono




----------



## secuono

Who is preggers & how many? 🤔

Tatiana probably has twins.
Kibito might have twins this year or a bigger single.






Eevee, guessing no.




Seadra, very slim chance.




Lucy, fat, anything else?






Articuno, definitely!





Fossa, 🤔


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## secuono

secuono said:


> View attachment 84977



Looking better already!


----------



## secuono

Gotta make a sheep kennel of sorts for all the weanlings I'm about to pull...lol


----------



## secuono

I'm going to widen the latest paddock, seems too small, by adding about 20-25ft width. 🤔




Since I'll widen the previous paddock, I decided to start on the other one by the road instead. Mowed a path for the fence, rolled out the mesh and just need to buy the posts. Need about 16 posts, it'll terminate in the water on one side and the top will go around, like previous, with a small gate, then terminate in the water as well. It'll be hot this week, so it won't be too bad wading in the pond to finish the fence.


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## secuono

I remembered that last year, I tossed all the ewes and keeper lambs out onto the winter field and only the rams used the paddocks...
So, there's no need to make 3 more paddocks. After this one, I'll probably stop and see if it's enough by next year.


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## secuono




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## farmerjan

Pretty view with the sun on the lake....


----------



## secuono

farmerjan said:


> Pretty view with the sun on the lake....


Small mud pond. 😅


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## secuono

The two mutt ewes will be pulled the night before pickup, since they're already being weaned, as their mom sold last week.


----------



## secuono

Lol, you all know how forgetful I am, right?
The sideyard, duh! I've always used it as the weaning yard, why did I forget about it??
So, caught a few more lambs and will move them in tonight or tomorrow.


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## secuono

I think there's 5 left to move over.


----------



## secuono

Almost done and will let the ewes out tonight, hopefully...
Ran out of fencing, by just 15-20ft. =/


----------



## secuono

Got Aspen in the weaning pen.

Moved the ewes!


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## farmerjan

Lambs look really good.


----------



## secuono

Moved the tarp to the next paddock.


----------



## Kusanar

secuono said:


>


This one's fluffy beard makes me giggle a little inside.


----------



## secuono

Tatiana had a ram & ewe!
First time she's had a ram, always been ewes. Who needs an adorable ram/wether?


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## secuono

Posing sheep is a lot more tricky than posing rabbits...
Need to make a chute with a plexiglass side. Lol. 
Uneven ground, camera on wide angle, tilted & pointing at shoulder, sheep bracing & sinking. Ugh...


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## farmerjan

The lamb that has the wide white blaze with the black nose and muzzle makes me think of a little bulldog.... just the way he stands there straight on to you,   he looks like the "mack truck" bulldog.  I think he is cute. (tough might be better for a ram lamb)


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## secuono

farmerjan said:


> The lamb that has the wide white blaze with the black nose and muzzle makes me think of a little bulldog.... just the way he stands there straight on to you,   he looks like the "mack truck" bulldog.  I think he is cute. (tough might be better for a ram lamb)


🤔 That's Holly, a girl. 😅


----------



## farmerjan

Whoops.... oh well,  so it is okay that she is CUTE.  And female bulldogs have that little "squared up stance too".  My grandmother had english bulldogs when I was a little kid.... bulldogs just look so "formidable but hers had great dispositions.   I barely remember them.


----------



## secuono

farmerjan said:


> Whoops.... oh well,  so it is okay that she is CUTE.  And female bulldogs have that little "squared up stance too".  My grandmother had english bulldogs when I was a little kid.... bulldogs just look so "formidable but hers had great dispositions.   I barely remember them.


----------



## secuono

Sad news today. 
Woke up so early today with a bad headache. If only I had gone out 30min sooner...
Articuna lost her ewe lamb. It was huge, fed only pasture, but still too big. Presented correctly, but head too huge to fit on its own. Very white eyes of a long dead lamb. Could tell right away by the umbilical chord that it was dead, eyes confirmed it.


----------



## secuono

At least I didn't loose Articuna. 

But to lighten the mood again, here is Tatiana's tail mohawk!




And her lambs still figuring how to master their very long legs.


----------



## secuono

Woke up at 6am. No new lambs. 
Supposed to rain today, we need it!
Second driest May for VA. Awful.


----------



## secuono

Rain!


----------



## secuono

Tomorrow, the sheep move paddocks again. Finally, 7 days. Lol. There's still leafy grass in there, but they aren't great at finding it. 
Ponies will be pleased with this! Lol
I think Seadra is close to lambing. After loosing Articuna's lamb, I've been watching them even closer and hoping I don't miss it again. Articuna didn't look close in any way and then *bam* stuck lamb. Ugh. But Seadra is red n puffy n udder growing, so, we'll see. Her mom, Kibito, looks to have more time to go. Will have to check the previous posts to remember who else I'm supposed to be watching.


----------



## Ridgetop

Terrible news about the lost lamb.  I always think the same - if only I got out earlier.  But probably wouldn't have 
made any difference.  Better to think she lost it during the night than to beat yourself up over it.  


secuono said:


> Posing sheep is a lot more tricky than posing rabbits...
> Need to make a chute with a plexiglass side. Lol.
> Uneven ground, camera on wide angle, tilted & pointing at shoulder, sheep bracing & sinking. Ugh...


I know!  So hard to get a good picture!  Just when they look right and you snap it - they move!

The ADSBs magazine had a complete article on how to correctly shoot pictures of sheep.  They suggested having several people to help you (like that will happen lol)  and posing them with a good background, etc.  If ever I have a full day to spend I will set up an area just for taking a picture.  I think roll out a piece of fake grass, and attach a deep blue sheet on the barn wall.  Then try posing the sheep.  Oh yes, they have to be nicely shorn and washed first.  Then posed.    But not shooting down at them, you have to lay down or crouch, or have the camera on a tripod at ground level with a switch.   Oh yes and don't take the photos with your phone either.  You have to be able to filter stuff adjust the exposure, etc.  Not happening.  I will just settle for pictures taken on the fake grass inside a portable pen.  Maybe I will remove their mohawks, maybe not.  Lambs no problem, no need to shear.  After reading the article, I really became depressed about ever being able to produce good pix.  

When posing show dogs I used to tug gently on their tails and they would lean forward against the tug right into the proper position.  LOL  The 4-H way to train lambs to lean forward is to practice posing them on a bale of straw and put their rear feet right at the edge.  If the tied to back up a step, they would fee their rear hooves starting to slip off and lean forward.  It taught them not to back away while posing.


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## secuono

Ridgetop said:


> Terrible news about the lost lamb.  I always think the same - if only I got out earlier.  But probably wouldn't have
> made any difference.  Better to think she lost it during the night than to beat yourself up over it.
> 
> I know!  So hard to get a good picture!  Just when they look right and you snap it - they move!
> 
> The ADSBs magazine had a complete article on how to correctly shoot pictures of sheep.  They suggested having several people to help you (like that will happen lol)  and posing them with a good background, etc.  If ever I have a full day to spend I will set up an area just for taking a picture.  I think roll out a piece of fake grass, and attach a deep blue sheet on the barn wall.  Then try posing the sheep.  Oh yes, they have to be nicely shorn and washed first.  Then posed.    But not shooting down at them, you have to lay down or crouch, or have the camera on a tripod at ground level with a switch.   Oh yes and don't take the photos with your phone either.  You have to be able to filter stuff adjust the exposure, etc.  Not happening.  I will just settle for pictures taken on the fake grass inside a portable pen.  Maybe I will remove their mohawks, maybe not.  Lambs no problem, no need to shear.  After reading the article, I really became depressed about ever being able to produce good pix.
> 
> When posing show dogs I used to tug gently on their tails and they would lean forward against the tug right into the proper position.  LOL  The 4-H way to train lambs to lean forward is to practice posing them on a bale of straw and put their rear feet right at the edge.  If the tied to back up a step, they would fee their rear hooves starting to slip off and lean forward.  It taught them not to back away while posing.


It's a lot of work just to be able to post decent pics of sold sheep to my website. I archive them all, if I remember, for future buyers to look through.
Some of the lambs push back so dang strongly, one suddenly jumped and pushed me over. Lol, they're so unexpectedly strong! A few dropped low on their legs and I had to wait for them to fully stand back up.
I use video setting on my phone for those pics. It was also hot out and I wasn't able to go out of the pen to better see what the camera was seeing. 😑 I'd need to fence off the camera or they'd trample it.
I have a big 4×4 foot window, but it has thick white crossbars making 9 little rectangles. Ugh. I don't like how much that would get in the way.
Can't use a halter or head yolk because they fight it and spaz out. Would take a long time getting them to chill and ignore it, while we all sweat to death. Hah.

I caught them because trying to get good pics naturally was becoming too difficult. They'd swarm together, bolt, not turn so I could figure out who they were...ugh.

It doesn't look like I posted this clip of 0154. He's such a sweetie now, he and the white wether were supposed to be picked up a bit ago, but life gets in the way, so they're the most friendly of the bunch.





In this pic, you can tell he's not in a hole and weirdly sinking down in the rear vs the video...😅


----------



## Kusanar

Probably dumb question... could you put something like peanut butter (I know Bee uses peanut butter dog treats for her sheep) on a wall about the height you want them to have their head and let them lick it? They should stand naturally and not be sinking down or sucking back. I know they would likely have their tongue out but really... if that's all that is wrong with the picture then there are bigger problems in life to worry about. Or even hold a treat in your hand and let them lick it, then you can pose them how you want without a wall right in front of them.


----------



## secuono

Kusanar said:


> Probably dumb question... could you put something like peanut butter (I know Bee uses peanut butter dog treats for her sheep) on a wall about the height you want them to have their head and let them lick it? They should stand naturally and not be sinking down or sucking back. I know they would likely have their tongue out but really... if that's all that is wrong with the picture then there are bigger problems in life to worry about. Or even hold a treat in your hand and let them lick it, then you can pose them how you want without a wall right in front of them.



Yeah, hmm, I guess if I put a shallow cup on the fence by a wall and let one lamb in at a time, I could get pics. 
They certainly aren't tame enough for me to hand feed or be right by them.


----------



## secuono

secuono said:


> Who is preggers & how many? 🤔
> 
> Tatiana probably has twins.
> Kibito might have twins this year or a bigger single.
> View attachment 85026View attachment 85027
> 
> Eevee, guessing no.
> View attachment 85028
> 
> Seadra, very slim chance.
> View attachment 85029
> 
> Lucy, fat, anything else?
> View attachment 85030View attachment 85031
> 
> Articuno, definitely!
> View attachment 85032
> 
> 
> Fossa, 🤔
> View attachment 85033



T had twins.
K looks to be real close now.
E nothing still.
S probably, I think. 
L seems to maybe have an udder or it's just wishful thinking on my part.
A lost hers.
F no change.

Lucy backside, either fat or a lamb...




Kibito, gotta be just one again 🤔




A little hollow tonight...impending birth or pretending there's not enough grass? 




Thinking fishfood is sheep food, lol




T's twins. Can you tell them apart?








Moved the fence a little for some green. Tomorrow, I'll close off the opposite end and let them graze the top until around 6pm, when I'll move them to the next paddock. Hoping no lamb or ewe gets pushed into pond, though....


----------



## secuono

I almost forgot to move 0167!
He's a heavy boy!
Almost...phone moved, grass hiding front feet, I think front is higher ground than back...




Clefairy & her ramling will move to the next paddock with the other ewes. The little guy will then have little friends, he was very curious about 0167.


----------



## secuono

When someone won't move, make em! Lol




Eevee was curious about kitty today






Holly




Eevee is warming up to me




Fossa is also warming up to me!


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Can you build a little platform? So they are standing level and not in holes? I know goats like to be taller/stand on things, do sheep like that too?


----------



## secuono

Moved a wood feeder for the weanlings...Not long enough. 😅


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## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Can you build a little platform? So they are standing level and not in holes? I know goats like to be taller/stand on things, do sheep like that too?



I do have a cute little pallet, made beefy, that I have saved in the barn. Was going to use that as the platform when I make the plexiglass chute or try the food idea. 

Sheep rarely like to play king of the hill. Young lambs might for a few weeks, then they become fuddy-duddy kill-joys. Lol, like the little old men they're born looking as. 🤣


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## secuono

Leaving soon!


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## secuono

Can someone tell me why lambs are like dogs and move junk around??

I make a pile off in a corner and an hour later, it's strewn all over the yard again! Do they play with it???


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Silly lambs! Is that area caught on your cameras? I bet they are playing with the stuff. Do they make sheep safe dog toys? Maybe a ball they can throw/kick around? Maybe toys designed for mini horses would work for sheep?


----------



## secuono

This cart is great!
Easy to pull, super easy to turn and maneuver and it's tall enough to help me get this giant crate in n out of my van!
Also, vet for 2 boys!






one is going to Missouri, the other to Washington.


----------



## Ridgetop

Is that one of those dump trailers?  Saw some at TSC and DH now wants one.  He says he can run a rope through the handle, run the trailer down the hill, fill it, then haul it up with the rope through the handle.


----------



## secuono

Ridgetop said:


> Is that one of those dump trailers?  Saw some at TSC and DH now wants one.  He says he can run a rope through the handle, run the trailer down the hill, fill it, then haul it up with the rope through the handle.







I have this one-


			https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Carts-6-cu-ft-Steel-Utility-Cart/1000772536
		


TSC has similar ones, under the groundworks brand.  Two seem identical, minus the color and name.

Got a cart for my mower a few years ago, do not get this thing. Highly unstable, flipped it multiple times, tires are incredibly frail. I need new tires for it, totally shredded them, but they seem to cost 60 each...not worth it! I think pictured is a slightly newer model-


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## secuono

Pretty sure Kibito will lamb tonight or early morning. 









And Lucy...It's definitely bigger, her udder, isn't it??


----------



## secuono

Tatiana's twins
The ram is quite bold!


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## secuono

A pretty crazy surprise this morning!
Will they all survive?
Will the teensiest need bottle feeding?
Will mom reject any?
Was I expecting more than one?

So incredibly small that she can stand on a grass patch up off the ground, in the air!
She cannot reach teats, a solid 4in too short with head up and neck stretched out.
Maybe 2 pounds? Even the smallest of Babydoll lambs have been larger! Need to get better pics, they do a poor job of showing her size.


----------



## secuono

I don't know how they fit in there, can't even tell she had lambed!
Having to drown her back end in fly spray.
People worry about flystrike, but that's nothing compared to mom's accidentally rejecting all lambs, by kicking at flies) and they starve to death.


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Gotta go clean out the barn, a big storm is coming in later today...


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

My goodness, how on earth was she carrying triplets? Glad they look like they are doing ok. Is the smallest one able to nurse if she gets a little step to stand on so she can reach?


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## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> My goodness, how on earth was she carrying triplets? Glad they look like they are doing ok. Is the smallest one able to nurse if she gets a little step to stand on so she can reach?



If I hold her front up, she can reach, or if mom stands over something she can stand on to get to the teat, but that won't happen unless I'm there. And at that point, I may as well hold her up.


----------



## Kusanar

Such cute little critters. I love when they splat down and go all flat.


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## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> My goodness, how on earth was she carrying triplets? Glad they look like they are doing ok. Is the smallest one able to nurse if she gets a little step to stand on so she can reach?



May 25th-
Maaaaaybe 2 at max. But she squeezed a tiny 3rd in there! 3 and all girls and all spotted! Probably Magnemite as the sire.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

secuono said:


> May 25th-
> Maaaaaybe 2 at max. But she squeezed a tiny 3rd in there! 3 and all girls and all spotted! Probably Magnemite as the sire.
> View attachment 85461View attachment 85462


She definitely doesn't look like she was carrying twins, let alone triplets! How many times has she lambed before?


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## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> She definitely doesn't look like she was carrying twins, let alone triplets! How many times has she lambed before?


Once last year. A small, super white single. Babydoll lamb in size.


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## secuono

She definitely knows there's supposed to be 3 of them. 
A bee got her. Don't be curious about bees with your face, guys! 🤦🏽‍♀️
Blocked off that corner of barn so the bees can do w/e and no one can get too close. She remembers which corner got her, lol, she listens and watches...
Anyway. 
Biggest refuses bottle, follows mom for milk.
Medium one isn't as gun-ho about nursing, so she's happily drank from the bottle.
Tiny, on bottle. When mom isn't dancing around, I try to help lift her to nurse. 
Mom doesn't have enough milk for 3, so Tiny will get the bottle until weaned. That means that Mimosa gets weaned on Sunday. She's overdue, wasn't expecting another bottle baby, so was feeding her until the bag was empty. 

These pics should better show size differences.


----------



## Mini Horses

Wow...third one is tiny!   But often trips have a runt.   Maybe she felt like she owed you one from last year.   😁


----------



## secuono

At midnight, she started rejecting the tiny one. Fenced her off from everyone in case mom got a little too firm about it.
Anyone need a tiny bottle baby?


----------



## secuono

Teensie got a water bath, feeding and a short stay in the house. 
New owner should arrive tonight for her.

If Kibito would of let her stay around w/o shoving her or bolting away dangerously, then I could of kept her. But being rejected leaves her w/o a family or friends and her size means she has to be in the barn or house. 

Weighs in at a bit under 4.5 pounds today.


----------



## secuono

Teensie went to her new home!

Now I'm waiting on new owners of 0159 ewe & 0150 ram. Will round them up in about 1.5hrs, try to dry them off a bit, then wait. 


Tomorrow, transport for ram 0141 should arrive. 
In the morning, ram 0167 will be picked up by new owner. 
Later in the day, a ram, 2 mutts & 3 ewes will be picked up and head out to Texas!

Who's left? 🤔


----------



## secuono

Spotted ram & spot carrier ewe will be off to their new home soon!


----------



## secuono

Seadra was the mom of Teensie!!! Almost certain of it.

She and her mom were within a couple of feet of each other and so were the lambs.
🤦🏽‍♀️ 100% not interested, not calling, not worried, vag is not showing signs of lambing and is tiny n pale, firm fresh udder, hollowed, narrow.
Would of had to sell her as a bottle baby either way, but dang...


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## secuono

Fossa, 🤔 Getting rounder, no?


----------



## secuono

secuono said:


> Seadra was the mom of Teensie!!! Almost certain of it.
> 
> She and her mom were within a couple of feet of each other and so were the lambs.
> 🤦🏽‍♀️ 100% not interested, not calling, not worried, vag is not showing signs of lambing and is tiny n pale, firm fresh udder, hollowed, narrow.
> Would of had to sell her as a bottle baby either way, but dang...
> View attachment 85499View attachment 85500View attachment 85501View attachment 85502



I was right. She was the mom. =/ 
Should be her only lamb, though. Wasn't meant to be bred. I really need to save a paddock for these no-breed listed sheep.


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## secuono

Gotta be a lamb...
🤞🤞🤞


----------



## secuono

Everyone(today's group) has now gone to their new homes!

One ewe for pickup. Still with mom.
2 wethers for pickup.
1 spotted ram for pickup.
1 spotted ram for transporter.
And 3 mature ewes for transporter.

Then, I'll have a new batch of lambs!
Tatiana's twins, Kibito's twins(keeping one) & Clefairy's ram(may have a home, waiting on DNA results).
kakuna(0112) is expecting, Fossa may be bred & Lucy looks to be expecting. Rest shouldn't be bred. Hoping these last three have ewes! Because I'll keep them, as they should be by spotted rams! I'll have them DNA tested.









Holly & momma Patchie




Sassafras




The Oklahoma group. Apparently, I got the state wrong somehow...Did I have it right the first time? 🤔 My brain is so frazzled this year!


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## secuono

I'm wondering if wrinkles are dominant....


----------



## secuono

Kibito's lamb following housedog




The eweling going to Georgia.


----------



## secuono

Tree removal tomorrow!
Sheep had to move over. The weanlings, 2 adults and mom n new lambs will be locked in the barn to keep them safe.


----------



## secuono

OEBSR CoRs arrived!


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## secuono

Definitely think Lucy has a lamb now...


----------



## secuono

Lookie what I found!
Kakuna had an eweling! 
Gotta DNA test her to figure out the sire.


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## secuono

Ramling Hemlock, Sebastián's replacement.


----------



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## secuono

One lamb ram & 3 mature ewes will be leaving soon!
Then 2 wethers and a bit later the other ram.
Just left will be the eweling to Georgia!

Now to trick 3 adults into getting caught without a wild goosechase....


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## secuono

Moved the lamb and 3 ewes to the sideyard. 
Put Kibito & her twins out with the rest of the flock.
Tried letting Kakuna & lamb out, but mom is still too stupid & absent-minded. So, back to being locked up.


----------



## secuono

Leaving soon! 
91F out, so hot out. =/


----------



## secuono

Off to their new homes on a 92F day!


----------



## secuono

Building was ordered & should be installed real soon!!
So, need to finish leveling the gravel...
By hand...
Ugh!
Bought a lazer room level and got the edges mostly ready. Need to move more gravel to widen the edges, though. Hopefully, it'll be good...


----------



## secuono

Experiment with this one. Hair end of tail, she will keep her whole tail and we will see she keeps her leg hair on her tail or not!


----------



## secuono

2 wethers left for their new home!






A ram & ewe now wait for their pickups.
Ram-



Ewe-



Ram n ewe-



Ewe, sold wether, ram-







Sold wetgers n ram-


----------



## secuono

Let the new girl n mom out. She's having to keep up on her own, as mom is still a ditz about being a mom.


----------



## secuono

secuono said:


> Clefairy had a ram lamb!
> Sire should be Magnemite, need to check records.
> View attachment 84944


Clefairy's ramling's sire test returned, sire is Magnemite!


Just noticed they misspelled his name...ah well, tag is right.


----------



## secuono

Clefairy's ramling, now available!




Hot n muggy! Everyone is hiding.


----------



## secuono

Watching the new building going up.


----------



## secuono




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## secuono

Moved to another paddock. It's very lush, being in the flood plain. 
Sheep kinda vanish, lol. 

Before the move, mainly just stems left. 




Happy sheep.


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## secuono

Ugh, she had another ram.


----------



## Larsen Poultry Ranch

So cute! Looks almost like eyebrows and sideburns. Will his coloring stay like that? Or change as he grows?


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## secuono

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> So cute! Looks almost like eyebrows and sideburns. Will his coloring stay like that? Or change as he grows?



Over the body, any wool areas, it'll fade, grey and white will develop black specks. The hair areas, legs, ears & parts of the face, it will stay as seen. But it's hard to tell how much hair will stay or be replaced by wool.


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## secuono

Well, that's not good...

Ran out to open the gate so the sheep can leave the floodable paddock.
Had to carry new lamb into barn, as mom was dumb and they just stood out there, 100% drenched...


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## farmerjan

Strange how the rain is settling into certain parts... we are getting it from the edges, and it sure has been sitting on top of areas.... Charlottesville and east are getting drowned as @secuono  showed.  North of Harrisonburg, 50+ miles north of me, has had plenty and even Staunton, 20 miles north keeps getting downpours and much much more than us.  We are ina pocket that it seems to just skirt around.  Haven't checked the rain gauge to see what we have gotten... heard a couple of showers and thunder but it has not set down on top of us.  
Hope that the pasture does not get too flooded... and yeah, some sheep are not too bright sometimes.  Glad you got them in.


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## secuono

Everyone seems okay. Creek is up, but not flooded, may still do so as water from the mountains comes down.

Checked FB and I didn't realize how bad my town is...


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

I hope you and your animals stay safe! That's a lot of water! Feel free to send some our way, we could use it.


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## secuono

Who is Kakuna's mom?
🤔 One hand down her wool and I knew, Addie!
Nice when I figure it out like that.
Kitty wanted more attention...





Little guy was let out today.






I need to name Kakuna's eweling...


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## secuono

Only a couple names are left on the list and I don’t like them.
Googling again, there's the Kauri tree. 🤔
I'll go with that!
Kakuna's eweling will be Kauri!


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## secuono

Update on who might lamb.
Fossa has a little udder going and looking closer.
Eevee doesn't seem bred at all.
No one else seems bred.
So, after Fossa lambs, breeding season should be over!


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## secuono

The 2 youngest.











I've been watching blue eyes in sheep. Searching Google doesn't give me what I'm looking for, especially not for sheep. For goats, lots of pics, but they're all yellow rimmed with blue in the middle. The Babydoll people make it sound like sheep can have solid blue eyes, but there's no proof of that? 
I've been accidentally breeding for it, more blue hue, too. I'm sure I may get to a point where those individuals won't be registerable because of people not understanding genetics. It's simple, breed slight blue to slight blue, may get a stronger blue. So then you continue with slight blue to stronger blue. Eventually, more vivid blue, not outcropping required. Same with breeding for straight legs or tight crimp of wool or level ears. 
They already don't understand that solid white isn't a bizarre result from a black to a white breeding. 😑🤦🏽‍♀️
Ah well.
Here's a normal brown-yellow eye vs a yellow-blue eye. Both are allowed, but I'm sure I may be pushing my luck. 








Has anyone seen a fully blue eye on a sheep? Zero yellow to it?


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All except two lambs are pictured, Mimosa & Kauri. 
2021 keeper ram & ewes.


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## Roving Jacobs

secuono said:


> Has anyone seen a fully blue eye on a sheep? Zero yellow to it?



Jacobs can have full blue eyes and marbled (yellow or brown with blue) eyes or one blue eye/one brown or yellow eye. It seems to be a simple recessive trait. I don't breed for it but I have had a number of ice blue eyes pop up over the years. Here's some blue eyed lilacs from this year.


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Test drove tractor into new building, fits with about 6in clearance! Yay!

Once the bale spear arrives, we'll practice maneuvering in there with a bale to stack along 2 walls and see how much space we can get on the 3rd for possible equipment storage.


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Had to get pictures of the wrong anchors installed, so I got tractor pics while I was at it.


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## secuono

Rain finally stopped enough to mow two paths for more fencing!
Decided to widen the paddock past the arena. And the two next to the road, I'll move the fencing over to make them wider, too. But for now, I'll add the fence and it'll be a 3rd paddock by the road. I'll redo its fence by the trees in late winter/early spring when I can see the ground. There's a big dip that I may want to fence off or try to fill in before allowing the sheep access closer to it. Also, can't put the fence up against the trees when I can't see jackshyt. 
I need to move the sheep Wednesday or Thursday, so I have to get the arena paddock done first. Will be putting in the tposts today, not sure how much of the fencing I'll get up.
Though, as I look at the pictures, I wonder if I should just leave it as 3 road paddocks...🤔
That makes...12? paddocks in all, with the steep upper pond hillside to be #13 in the future. Again, I'll need the help of winter to get the fence up against the trees.


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## Kusanar

That's a lot of fencing. My place will have 5 fields when it is all done. 3 big fields for rotational grazing, the area around the barn which will be winter grazing + sacrifice area, then the pond will be fenced so it can be opened or closed. Don't want the mini going out on a frozen pond and falling in. I don't worry about the big guys, the water won't freeze hard enough they will be able to get more than 2-3 feet deep before it breaks and they will be able to get out but the mini only weighs around 200 lbs so he could get a good bit further before it broke and at that point he wouldn't be able to get out on his own.


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## secuono

Hmm, got half of the posts in.


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## secuono

Almost done with the lower paddock redo.
Cut a section to fit in tomorrow. Then just need to put on the clips.


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## secuono

Seeing as how I've gone from 30 ewes to 40, I'll need bigger paddocks...
Been thinking of redoing the 4 triangle ones by the barn down into 3 paddocks. 🤔
Also why the 2 by the road seemed too small to me. 

Just need to clip the fence to the posts!




Thinking the one next to house takes the second one's hill and from the pond backside to the road. Then the 2nd one is widened to the gate, where I mowed. I'll have to go measure to see if that's roughly half for each.

White is current, red is expanded.


red is expanded. Then white is the new 2nd paddock.


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## secuono

🤔
Thicker, brighter lines are new.

Blue to mare even 3 or green to make 2 paddocks...
Red is the 2 road paddocks I need to redo.
Yellow is the bottom one I just finished redoing.


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## secuono

Ramling leaving soon!
One eweling left!
Then the black ram & spotted wether to go, in several weeks.







Fossa is definitely bred, looks to be getting close to lambing!
She should be the last one.


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Pulled the old posts out, now to move them to where the new fence will go.


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Got 2/3rds of the posts in for the road paddocks in place!


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Another week, another paddock.

Heard coyotes last night...Now I don't want to put the ewes and keeper ewelings out on the 20 acres like I did last year...
Which makes me want to keep the smaller paddocks and add even more of them! 😖


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Fossa has made a nest...or stole it from the dog? Idk, but should lamb soon!


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Stole it from the dog!
But that's the 2nd ewe, due any day, that has stolen the dirt hole. 🤔


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7-7:25pm, Fossa had a ram & ewe!
DNA samples will be sent out to confirm sire.


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## HomeOnTheRange

Really liked the "tire" lamb and congrats on your two new little "mud" lambs, they look great.


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## Mini Horses

I like the speckled rambling...sorta appy looking😁in horse talk.   

That's a huge place your working...how many acres?  Waaay more than I want to deal with from just pics.   Of course, with sheep numbers, you need plenty of graze.


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## secuono

Mini Horses said:


> I like the speckled rambling...sorta appy looking😁in horse talk.
> 
> That's a huge place your working...how many acres?  Waaay more than I want to deal with from just pics.   Of course, with sheep numbers, you need plenty of graze.


Some people do call that color appy. I forgot what I planned on calling it...lol.
Muddled...merle...idk, I almost had it...speckled? Ugh, this will bother me all day...
Others are light(tiny amount on head and elsewhere), medium(tuxedo style) and heavy(cowbaby/magnemite) spotted/spotting.

Almost 5 by house, then big area is 24-26~. But only about 22-24 total useable acres in all. Rest is a pond, 2 creeks, land past the creeks(one is open flood area I can't get to, other is woods) and such.

I wonder if I'll end up just making tons of paddocks one day...=/

34 Babydoll ewes, 6 Babydoll rams, 3 mutt ewes & IDK if I'll keep 2 mutt lambs this year or sell them. 43-45 sheep... 
wow, thats...too many! Sold 3 adult ewes and 2 adult rams this spring, but that hardly put a dent in it! Selling 2 rams next spring, but need to buy/keep a new black or white ram, as well. And keeping several ewelings again, from the 2 rams I'll sell. Gonna be 50+ sheep next summer...holy cow...

Yeah, I didn't realize how many I have...


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## Mini Horses

I won't tell anyone the count...of sheep.   😎.  That's a lot of land.  Mines only 15 acres and too much some days.   😁   less goats than you have sheep!   But most kids will sell in August, so I'll only carry about 15ish thru winter....plus a doz old minis.

I've been up in Culpeper.  Like the roll of the land but, warmer here.  Many, many years ago tried to buy near Staunton.  Just never happened.  Probably a good thing, looking back.  .  I like your new building.


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## secuono

Mini Horses said:


> I won't tell anyone the count...of sheep.   😎.  That's a lot of land.  Mines only 15 acres and too much some days.   😁   less goats than you have sheep!   But most kids will sell in August, so I'll only carry about 15ish thru winter....plus a doz old minis.
> 
> I've been up in Culpeper.  Like the roll of the land but, warmer here.  Many, many years ago tried to buy near Staunton.  Just never happened.  Probably a good thing, looking back.  .  I like your new building.



A dozen miniature horses??
As in 12??😲

I have 5 horses in all, 2 are ponies & 3 are minis, and honestly, I'd prefer no more than 3...AND they all need to live on a hay only diet. 😑

Some days, I really question my sanity, lol. Certainly better than hard to keep weight on type of horses, but trying to keep minis a decent weight when living with ponies, let alone fit, is so stressful and difficult! They really should be in two separate herds! As the 2 mini girls are faaat and need a tiny speck of hay, vs the gelding mini & 2 ponies. 😖


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## Mini Horses

Yep, as in 12!   😁   old and just living out their lives.  Two are 18 & 19...everyone else 24 to 37.  Most very late 20s.   Some of my old breeding herd and a couple rescues.   Used to raise them & mini donkey, back when they were expensive!   They all do well on pasture and soft, 2nd cut hay, usually orchard in winter. The one old guy gets a sr complete feed, as he doesn't eat hay anymore.  Couple of the eldest gals might have to do sr feed this winter...will watch.

My goats eat way more than minis.


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Some days, I really question my sanity, lol. Certainly better than hard to keep weight on type of horses, but trying to keep minis a decent weight when living with ponies, let alone fit, is so stressful and difficult! They really should be in two separate herds! As the 2 mini girls are faaat and need a tiny speck of hay, vs the gelding mini & 2 ponies. 😖


I'm really lucky with my mini, he holds good weight in a 10 acre pasture with grass taller than he is.


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## secuono

Kusanar said:


> I'm really lucky with my mini, he holds good weight in a 10 acre pasture with grass taller than he is.


Rub it in, why don'cha...


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## Kusanar

secuono said:


> Rub it in, why don'cha...


He didn't used to, when I got him he was a butterball but now he just holds a good weight.


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## secuono

The lambs are still surprising me!

Fossa's black twins aren't black, but may be spotted!?
 That means that Fossa is a secret spot carrier born in California.

The ram has obvious white on the knee and a hair or two on the head.
The ewe has white on the top of her head & both sides.


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## secuono

Fossa's eweling needs a name...
Tulip (tree) or Socotra...🤔


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## farmerjan

Mini Horses said:


> I won't tell anyone the count...of sheep.   😎.  That's a lot of land.  Mines only 15 acres and too much some days.   😁   less goats than you have sheep!   But most kids will sell in August, so I'll only carry about 15ish thru winter....plus a doz old minis.
> 
> I've been up in Culpeper.  Like the roll of the land but, warmer here.  Many, many years ago tried to buy near Staunton.  Just never happened.  Probably a good thing, looking back.  .  I like your new building.


Oh, @Mini Horses  it would have been sooooo wonderful if you had bought near Staunton... then we could be two old maids, helping each other and growing old together!!!!!  I can not take the humidity down where you are....


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Moved into newest paddock! Few days late, but ah well.


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Kauri 




Spotted wether, finally has a home lined up.





Haven't listed Fossa's ramling yet, as I'm still waiting on parentage results.


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## secuono

I


Roving Jacobs said:


> Jacobs can have full blue eyes and marbled (yellow or brown with blue) eyes or one blue eye/one brown or yellow eye. It seems to be a simple recessive trait. I don't breed for it but I have had a number of ice blue eyes pop up over the years. Here's some blue eyed lilacs from this year.


So, I googled the breed and pics all show a yellow outside rim and then blue in the middle. 🤔


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## secuono

Still waiting on Kakuna's lamb's DNA results...Taking very long this time. Sent June 3rd. 

And waiting on the Fossa twin DNA results, too. Sent June 21st.


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## secuono

This guy will be leaving soon. Clefairy's ramling.


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Kakuna's eweling's results are in, sire is Apostle!


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I think I'll call Fossa's eweling Socotra.


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Ewes moved


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## secuono

Fossa's twins' DNA Parentage results came back. Sire is Apostle.








Kauri


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Moved the mutt lambs out for weaning.


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## Mini Horses

Cute mutts.


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## secuono

Let them into the arena area to clean up. Found out that they like ragweed, so, more ragweed for them!

A before pic, I'll take an after once it's cleaned up enough.


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## secuono

Clefairy ramling will be leaving soon.

Hemlock still available 
Fossa's ramling still available, I think. Lots of almosts, but people are less excited about lambs late in the season.


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## secuono

Tatiana's eweling went to her new home this morning.


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🤔 still hard to see, but they did a good job, so they got to move.


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## secuono

Tatiana's ramling is the more friendly one. Didn't sell him yesterday because of that. I'm considering keeping my first wether! But idk if it's worth it. 🤔 Guess I'll keep waiting & watching his personality, if he keeps getting more sweet, I'll probably keep him.

Kibito's ewelings, haven't seen much in personality differences. Have them all in the sideyard to wean now, so I may be able to speed that along & decide soon. I think the one with a little less white on head was slightly more brave.
 I have a white eweling from Kibito from last year, wanting to keep a black. 
I'm hoping my interest in spinning comes back. 
I need a white from Tatiana to replace Majin, wanting a friendly one...And T's black eweling isn't all that friendly, so might sell her if I keep the wether or wait until I have a white to replace her.


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## secuono

Lots for them to gobble up!
They like ragweed, which took over this paddock. 😑
And they'll have pears to munch.


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Baobab, Clefairy's ramling went to his new home this morning. He'll be friends with my other ramling from 2019, Chiapan!


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New paddock!


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Lucy was okay, other ewe got spooked!


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Most of the ewes have been separated from the new moo. They've never seen a bovine before, many were super curious.


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## farmerjan

I would be canning those pears in a heartbeat....


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farmerjan said:


> I would be canning those pears in a heartbeat....


Come pick some up!


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## secuono

Eagle Carports finally came back to install the mobile home anchors that were supposed to be done back during install. 
They covered back one hole and got lazy with the rest. Left some trash again, too. Not a huge deal, work contracted out will always have problems, but some people would want to know about the small stuff.


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## secuono

farmerjan said:


> I had never heard of photodegradable netting.... and from what I looked up after reading your post and out of curiosity, it says 90 plus days according to the amount of ultraviolet light.  So, I guess this is a good opportunity for you to do some "research" on it and report back to us.  I know that the straw will be degrading (composting) as the grass grows up through it and it will stabilize and even feed the grass seed.... will be interesting in how fully it breaks down this straw retaining stuff,  and how fast it degrades.
> Thanks .
> 
> Yeah, investing in hay equipment plus the time and all is not worth it if you don't have alot of animals to justify it... plus the time it takes to make it.... Believe me, we sometimes even question our sanity and we make ALOT of hay.  Sounds like what you need/want for the sheep is a good 2nd cutting orchard grass hay... we make some that is very "bladey" and the 2nd cutting is a soft - not stalky - hay that we sell to horse customers.  The cattle do well on the 1st cutting that is coarser, and the mixed grass hay we make on rented and/or "given to us to just make the hay " ground.  Still we put out 1,000's of dollars in fertilizer even on those type places to justify the time and expense to make it.... not much sense to make hay on marginal ground and get 1-2 rolls to the acre, when fertilizer to feed the ground will give us 2-5 rolls.... It costs the same to run over the same amount of ground regardless of what we get.   We often buy hay that others have that is surplus, because they are selling it for what it costs us to make it or below our costs.  We have been rotating the cattle more, partially for the worm situation also,   and making less hay on "pasture fields" if there is fencing, and sometimes buying extra instead.  If we get an extra month or so out of some of the places with grazing, why make the hay.... let the cows do the harvesting.  Of course many places there is no fences, or no water, and without long term leases, you cannot afford to do fencing.... It is too risky to even do electric on some of the rented ground because of the heavy deer population here, and liability issues if cattle get out.  But many places there is no water even if the "iffy fences" could be fixed.... and it costs too much to be hauling water everywhere.  That negates the advantage of the pasture.....
> 
> Good luck finding the hay you want.  If you find a good supplier, stick with them and don't haggle alot on the price.  Then if we have a dry year, they will take care of you because you are a good customer.  We have a couple of horse people that we have had for over 20 years.... they sometimes help unload if they are there at home when we deliver, they have stayed with us all along, and when we were in dry conditions we made sure we had enough hay put back to get them through with what they "normally got" on a yearly average.  They always have the money there, or a couple will call within a day or 2 of delivery and say how much and have a check in the mail, and we get it within a week.   NOTHING WORSE, than someone that drags out paying..... and we don't tolerate customers like that anymore.  Hay out of the field is pay when you get it..... non-negotiable.  We will give a new customer a couple bales to take home and see if their animals like it before we take them on as a customer... and they know the terms up front.



I was about to make a new post about this to update.
Need to get pictures.

It's been 5 months, maybe a little longer.

100% as new! 
No rot, no loss of strength, nothing.
It's acting like strong, UV resistant plastic...

It's also expensive! Very expensive for what you get.
I'm about to use a 900# bale of 2nd cut horse hay instead of buying more trash plastic.


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## farmerjan

That is a shame on the plastic not degrading like it should/was claimed to do.  That is a real disappointment for you. 
Hope the bale of hay works better.  At least it will all break down as the earthworms work on it.

I think I would tell the company that you are very dissatisfied with it and why....


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## secuono

farmerjan said:


> That is a shame on the plastic not degrading like it should/was claimed to do.  That is a real disappointment for you.
> Hope the bale of hay works better.  At least it will all break down as the earthworms work on it.
> 
> I think I would tell the company that you are very dissatisfied with it and why....



Got some pictures today. Idk what degradable plastic should look and feel like, but this stuff still looks and feels like normal plastic to me.
Waiting for the dead of winter before I start peeling it all up to throw out.


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## ohiogoatgirl

secuono said:


> Listed the 4 fleeces, now I wait...
> View attachment 84912View attachment 84913View attachment 84914View attachment 84915


Cross fleeces? Are you listing fleeces on the fb groups?


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## secuono

secuono said:


> Got some pictures today. Idk what degradable plastic should look and feel like, but this stuff still looks and feels like normal plastic to me.
> Waiting for the dead of winter before I start peeling it all up to throw out.
> View attachment 87926View attachment 87927View attachment 87928View attachment 87929View attachment 87930View attachment 87931View attachment 87932


Updating again on the plastic straw mess.
I can't even remove it without running grass and some spots are very stuck. 😑
It's definitely some strong arse plastic! Not sun degrading. 😭


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## secuono

ohiogoatgirl said:


> Cross fleeces? Are you listing fleeces on the fb groups?


Searched FB to find them. Haven't been trying hard to sell them, I know one sold, maybe two. I'll have to check which.

Have a ton of yard left, too. Don't wear wool, so...oops.






Updating.
Black one and Corriedale is still here. 
And one white, but I have to weigh it to figure which one it is.


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## secuono

secuono said:


> Got some pictures today. Idk what degradable plastic should look and feel like, but this stuff still looks and feels like normal plastic to me.
> Waiting for the dead of winter before I start peeling it all up to throw out.
> View attachment 87926View attachment 87927View attachment 87928View attachment 87929View attachment 87930View attachment 87931View attachment 87932



This stuff is still 100% as if new. It's normal plastic. Wtf.


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## secuono

Another update on that 💩 "photodegradable" straw mat...
🙄


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## farmerjan

That's awful that it didn't degrade.  You are right, it looks like brand new.... I'd write them and tell them how unhappy you are and that you intend to make sure people know it does not break down.


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## SA Farm

It’s weird…I had some netting like that and it decomposed in no time - as long as it wasn’t shaded or touching anything damp. Perhaps try putting it off the ground in sun and see if that makes a difference?


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## secuono

SA Farm said:


> It’s weird…I had some netting like that and it decomposed in no time - as long as it wasn’t shaded or touching anything damp. Perhaps try putting it off the ground in sun and see if that makes a difference?


It rips the grass/dirt up with it. Only the stuff already up in the air I'll be able to cut out.


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