# Spotty lambs 2020



## Roving Jacobs (Mar 25, 2020)

7 days, 20 lambs, 0 sleep

Everyone is doing well at around a week old though! Ten rams and ten ewes. I have a handful more that I bought late that will be lambing next month but this is most of them. Forgive the cell phone pictures, I figured blurry pictures were better than no pictures. I live on a migratory path so I keep the lambs in until they're a little bigger and eagles aren't traveling through.

Jacobs were named after apple varieties this year. Cormos are always desserts.

Holly- teeny ewe lamb Hellebore x Monty






Apollo and Admiral- ram lambs Aster x Monty





Fortune (aka big beef)- ram lamb Daphne x Monty





Irish- he's basically a giraffe Indigo x Ashe





Carolina- ewe lamb Clementine x Monty





Monarch and Melba- Ram/ewe twins Mimosa x Monty









Chiffon and Suzette the cormos from Jaffa and Eclair x Paczki





Jester and Jubilee- ram/ ewe twins Jewel x Ashe





Spartan- ram lamb Sicily x Ashe





Keepsake and Kent (aka woolly bear aka fuzzy wuzzy)- Ewe/ram twins Katelyn x Ashe





Duchess and Dulcet- ewe twins Daisy x Monty





Pacific (aka big blue)- ram lamb Pansy x Ashe





Rosette (back) and Rival (front)- ewe/ram twins Reba x Ashe





Need to focus the flock this year so I'm hoping to sell some small flocks and breeding trios. I love my ladies but I have so many!


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## SA Farm (Mar 25, 2020)




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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 25, 2020)

Wow......   they sure are pretty ..
........I am now a fan of of your lamb clan


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## luvmypets (Mar 25, 2020)

I love them! We just got two jacobs although I have no idea the genders and can’t get close enough to find out. I have a hunch the one may be preggy tho!


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## Roving Jacobs (Mar 25, 2020)

luvmypets said:


> I love them! We just got two jacobs although I have no idea the genders and can’t get close enough to find out. I have a hunch the one may be preggy tho!



They're funny sheep, you'll either love them or hate them! Usually you can tell if they're rams or ewes from their horns but wethers can have ewe-like horns.


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## Roving Jacobs (Apr 22, 2020)

I figured we could all use some spotty lamb pictures.

Fortune




Holly, she is so much trouble! Into everything all the time.




Keepsake inherited her mom's Crazyface (tm). The bright blue eyes don't help.




Her brother Kent didn't miss out on it either.




Jubilee just looks pleased with herself




Jester is the stoic type




Carolina constantly has something in her mouth








Irish is also Trouble and I spend a lot of time yelling at him to get out of hay feeders. Also Carolina is in the background with another piece of straw sticking out of her mouth




Rival is so handsome! He might have a breeding home lined up.




His sister Rosette is lovely too.




This is Big Betty's daughter Big Bess




And her boy Beacon




Wendigo's boy is the babiest of the jacob babies and doesn't have a name yet. He's been alive for 6 days now and they've all been exhausting.


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## B&B Happy goats (Apr 22, 2020)

Love them all but Beacon  has my attention..what a face


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## promiseacres (Apr 22, 2020)

Love the black muzzles😍


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## Roving Jacobs (Apr 28, 2020)

I'm pretty sure this is the last lamb of the year. Two other cormo ewes were marked but don't have any udder development. Cormos are weird about breeding  

So with this 11 lb 11 oz cormo girl we're up to 26 lambs, 2 goat kids with a 50:50 boy/girl split.





Got updated pictures of all the spotty ones too. Split into two posts because its a lot of lambs.

Holly




Admiral




Apollo




Fortune








Irish




Carolina




Monarch




Melba




Jester




Jubilee




Spartan


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## Roving Jacobs (Apr 28, 2020)

Part 2!

Keepsake








Kent




Duchess and Dulcet




Duchess




Dulcet




Pacific








Rival




Rosette




Rubens (I think I was calling him Regent before but he's more of a Rubens)




Beacon




Bess




Winston


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## B&B Happy goats (Apr 28, 2020)

How many do you have total in your flock ? I am so loving  the looks of them and wanting one for a pet lol, every time you put the pictures up I run to show my husband them and we just admire their unique  markings


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## Roving Jacobs (Apr 28, 2020)

B&B Happy goats said:


> How many do you have total in your flock ? I am so loving  the looks of them and wanting one for a pet lol, every time you put the pictures up I run to show my husband them and we just admire their unique  markings



That's a dangerous question! According my computer here are my mature animal numbers: 6 angora goat does, 1 buck (who is sold last year but is still here for some reason), 12 cormo ewes, 2 cormo rams, 2 cvm romeldale ewes, 1 cvm ram, 20 jacob ewes, 2 jacob rams. Then a bunch of yearlings that are just farting around waiting for freezer camp, or for me to pick my keepers and sell the rest. Two of the cormo ewes, three of the jacobs and a goat are very old or can't lamb anymore and are just hanging out. I usually eat mature cull ewes but when they're 10+ years old and have had long, productive lives I just can't bring myself to turn them into dog food.

It's definitely a downsizing year! I'll be selling starter flocks, breeding trios, and giving away some younger retired pet ewes. I can make your spotty sheep dreams come true


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## B&B Happy goats (Apr 28, 2020)

OH talk to me and make my spotty sheep dreams come true   ..you had us laughing  so hard, I just went and showed Leon the pictures....
I will send you a PM ...I have questions to ask 🤭


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## BYH Project Manager (Apr 30, 2020)

Those spotty lambs are certainly charming @Roving Jacobs! We definitely want to see more of them - congrats, they're featured on our homepage!


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## Baymule (Apr 30, 2020)

I see a road trip in B&B’s future! Would you really leave Leon all alone with canebreak rattlesnakes just waiting for him to stick a toe outdoors? BWA HA HA HA!


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## bethh (Apr 30, 2020)

Roving Jacobs said:


> That's a dangerous question! According my computer here are my mature animal numbers: 6 angora goat does, 1 buck (who is sold last year but is still here for some reason), 12 cormo ewes, 2 cormo rams, 2 cvm romeldale ewes, 1 cvm ram, 20 jacob ewes, 2 jacob rams. Then a bunch of yearlings that are just farting around waiting for freezer camp, or for me to pick my keepers and sell the rest. Two of the cormo ewes, three of the jacobs and a goat are very old or can't lamb anymore and are just hanging out. I usually eat mature cull ewes but when they're 10+ years old and have had long, productive lives I just can't bring myself to turn them into dog food.
> 
> It's definitely a downsizing year! I'll be selling starter flocks, breeding trios, and giving away some younger retired pet ewes. I can make your spotty sheep dreams come true


Sounds like me when people ask how many chickens I have.  My goats I can still count on one hand.


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## bethh (Apr 30, 2020)

Your sheep are beautiful.  You need a couple of Dalmatians.


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## Roving Jacobs (Apr 30, 2020)

bethh said:


> Your sheep are beautiful.  You need a couple of Dalmatians.



No dalmatians here but I do have a speckly, freckly cattle dog mix.




My pyr had some spots as a baby too but they've all faded.


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## Roving Jacobs (May 17, 2020)

The oldest batch of lambs got vaccinated on Friday and I decided to get pictures of all the jacobs for reference and to start deciding who to sell. They were not especially cooperative. 

Holly- I'm probably keeping her because someone wants to buy her mom, and her aunt Pistachio, who I sold last year, has come back to me






Admiral- Might have a buyer (or two buyers fighting over him)





Apollo- Someone has dibs on him too.





Fortune- I can't believe no one has snapped at him yet, but he has broken both laterals like a goober. If he doesn't sell right away he'll be my show ram for the year (if any of the shows actually run).





Irish- Despite his ridiculous emoji face he's a pretty nicely built ram with good horns so far.





Carolina- She's a big girl! Easily the biggest of the ewe lambs.





Monarch- He's a peewee but I think he's got a lot of potential. Nice markings, lovely fleece, chill personality.





Melba- She's got a home lined up already.





9 and 10 are the cormos who were in a different part of the barn and didn't get pictures taken. They're your classic big, white, fluffy lambs.

Jester- I like his body but I'm not sure about his horns so I'll need to watch him longer before making any decisions.





Jubilee- Probably the least cooperative lamb and really didn't show off how nice looking she actually is. If I didn't already have 2 Jewel daughters I'd probably keep her.





Spartan- It took me almost 2 months of bemoaning his poor horn spacing to realize he actually has 5 horns. He probably won't cut it as a registered ram but might have a home as an unregistered breeder.





Keepsake- Still has weird fleece but I love her pedigree and am selling her mom so she's staying.





Kent- Still so fuzzy wuzzy! I have no idea what that fleece is going to do and he has terminal crazyface but someone was interested in him anyway. His horns are nice at least.





Dulcet- I always get her and her sister confused. she has the better fleece though and is probably staying because her mom is retiring





Duchess- She's built a little better and is larger than her sister but her fleece is less even.





Pacific- My big blue boy! He's staying barring his horns going completely stupid over the next few months. I could nitpick his spotting and need to watch for freckles but his fleece is so even and gorgeous.





Rival- He and his sister aren't the biggest, showiest lambs because their mom is 11 but I think he has a lot of potential. He might have a junior shepherd home lined up.





Rosette- Long body, lovely fleece, I'm trying to remind myself that I don't need to keep all of the Reba daughters, especially since someone is giving me a mature ewe related to her this year





Rubens- This boy is trouble! Big for his britches and knows he's a handsome guy. If something is going on you know he's going to be in the middle of it.





Winston was actually too young to get vaccinated. He, Bess and Beacon will be done in a month when the others are getting their booster. He's so huge and handsome I needed to get a picture of him though. I wish he was either a girl or less related to everyone so I could keep him.


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## Kusanar (Sep 24, 2020)

I know this thread is kinda old, but I'm thinking about getting some Jacob sheep and was just drooling over your babies. So cute!


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## Roving Jacobs (Oct 5, 2020)

Kusanar said:


> I know this thread is kinda old, but I'm thinking about getting some Jacob sheep and was just drooling over your babies. So cute!



Jacobs are great! I'm always happy to answer spotty sheep questions if you have any. The breed club is also super friendly and supportive.

Here's all the lambs that I had left at 6 months. All my ewe lambs sold except the 4 I'm keeping back and I've got a bunch of ram lambs some of which are leaving soon and some are being grown out for either spring meat sales or to be sold as yearlings with nice big horns.

Holly, ewe lamb, staying




Apollo, ram lamb, had a home lined up but there was some drama and now he's available again




Rosette, ewe lamb, sold




Pacific, lilac ram lamb, keeping




Carolina, ewe lamb, sold




Jester, ram lamb, growing out




Duchess, ewe lamb, sold




Kent, ram lamb, growing out




Spartan, ram lamb, growing out




Admiral, ram lamb, sold




Keepsake, ewe lamb, keeping




Rival, ram lamb, sold




Monarch, ram lamb, growing out hopefully finds a breeding home because he's really nice




Rubens, ram lamb, growing out




Dulcet, ewe lamb, keeping




Irish, ram lamb going to his new home with a starter flock of adult ewes this weekend




Jubilee, ewe lamb, keeping




Also I added yet another spotty creature to the farm, an australian cattle dog puppy! I got her at 4.5 months and she's 6 months now. We went to a herding trainer for some foundation tips but she's got a lot of maturing to do before she can actually help out. Her name is Scout and she came all the way from Oklahoma.




Breeding starts on the 12th for next year's batch of lambs. I've got a few people who want starter flocks next year so hopefully I have a lot of nice girls!


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## Kusanar (Oct 5, 2020)

So pretty, the pup isn't bad either 

I'm thinking about getting 2-3 ewe lambs and then a year later getting a ram so I can get used to sheep before I have a ram to deal with. I'm not worried about hormonal males, I have a stallion and have dealt with bulls, but I figure when getting into a new species it would be easier to start with the girls before I have to deal with those hormones as well. 

I need to get cross fencing done and get a 2nd shelter up before I bring the sheep home though so if I need to separate them from the horses I have that option as well as letting them meet over a fence line. I would probably pen the sheep up into a smaller area without the horses for lambing time as well so the babies don't get hurt by accident so I want there to be a 2nd shelter that they could be in for that. 

Do they have any issues with woven wire fencing and the horns?


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## Roving Jacobs (Oct 5, 2020)

My perimeter fence is woven wire and I've never had a jacob get caught in it (now the goats on the other hand...). I divide it up with 4 strand electric "smart fence" for pasture rotation and it works really well.

I'd start with 3 so if something happens to one you still have a pair to keep each other company. Starting with ewes and getting the ram when they're yearlings is a good idea. Jacob rams are generally pretty respectful because no one wants to put up with a mean ram with giant horns but it still takes some getting used to.

If things are some semblance of normal next year the jacob sheep annual meeting and show will be in NC and we have a big show there in October too. You should meet some spotty sheep and breeders in person and see how you like them! They're so much fun, definitely my favorite breed.


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## Kusanar (Oct 5, 2020)

Roving Jacobs said:


> My perimeter fence is woven wire and I've never had a jacob get caught in it (now the goats on the other hand...). I divide it up with 4 strand electric "smart fence" for pasture rotation and it works really well.
> 
> I'd start with 3 so if something happens to one you still have a pair to keep each other company. Starting with ewes and getting the ram when they're yearlings is a good idea. Jacob rams are generally pretty respectful because no one wants to put up with a mean ram with giant horns but it still takes some getting used to.
> 
> If things are some semblance of normal next year the jacob sheep annual meeting and show will be in NC and we have a big show there in October too. You should meet some spotty sheep and breeders in person and see how you like them! They're so much fun, definitely my favorite breed.


There are a few somewhat near me in virginia. One in Lexington and one in floyd. 

They will all be halter broken and trained to be respectful. I'm not looking for pets per say, but I will not have an animal I cant catch and move around if I need to. I was watching a youtube video of a lady that has wool sheep and has to use 2 sheep dogs to even touch any of her sheep, I was just cringing.


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2020)

@Kusanar I keep my sheep and horses separated. Different barns, different pastures. I will rotate the sheep and horses through the pastures, but not together. It's not worth risking the injury to any of them.


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2020)

As always i love looking at your spotty sheep, they are so nice. Congrats on the red heeler, they do make great cattle dogs.


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## Kusanar (Oct 6, 2020)

Baymule said:


> @Kusanar I keep my sheep and horses separated. Different barns, different pastures. I will rotate the sheep and horses through the pastures, but not together. It's not worth risking the injury to any of them.


I dont think there should be too much of a problem. I have a 32" mini in with standard horses and he kicks them in the heads when they try to push him around, so they are used to small wooly beasts and how they get hurt when they are bossy. Unless I got a ram that tried to gore a horse I really dont think there would be a problem. But, of course I would introduce very carefully.

Edit to add: and even with careful introduction I will make sure I am able to separate if it doesnt work out having them together


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2020)

I have a playful gelding that would probably think I just gifted him with new toys. But even so, I still wouldn't mix them. If it works out for you, it works.


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## Kusanar (Oct 6, 2020)

Baymule said:


> I have a playful gelding that would probably think I just gifted him with new toys. But even so, I still wouldn't mix them. If it works out for you, it works.


I figure if anyone gets hurt it would probably be my stallion. He thinks he's big man (even though he gets bossed around by 2 geldings, one of which is a mini) and doesnt always know when enough is enough, so he might get poked a few times before he realizes the funny smelling mini horses are pointy. I would probably tennis ball the sheep at least on the top goaty horns for a while too so they can express their displeasure without killing anything.


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