# Baymule’s 2021 Lambing



## Baymule

Ok, it started a little early, there will be another one, but the rest will be in February 2021. 
I had Ringo with 2 ewes to sell as bred ewes. The buyer lost his job due to Covid and oil patch layoffs. He found another job, but not what he was making. House note, car notes, wife and 3 kids supersedes buying a couple of ewes. I totally get that and told him when things improve for him, if he still wants to raise a few Sheep, we will get him fixed up. 

Domino had twins last night, a ram and ewe. Of course they are adorable. 






The ram lamb. 





The ewe lamb





Domino had a single her first lambing, he was big and his front feet were bent forward at the pastern, but they straightened out. She is small and short coupled, her sire was that short backed Dorper ram I had. LOL Autocorrect changed sire to diet. That’s not even close! 

If she had one lamb, she seemed to be content, ignoring the bleats from the other lamb. I never jug my ewes, but thought I might oughta jug this trio. All those other ewes were confusing the lambs, all 3 needed some close time together. Autocorrect changed JUG to HUG! I do too hug my sheep! 





The space is horse wire on 3 sides, 1 side is a cow panel. I put a half of a hog panel over it and tied it tight with hay twine. They are so tiny and not attached to their mom enough to suit me. I was afraid they would pop through the cow panel. 

Sheba and Sentry went in the barn with me to check out the lambs. Another reason I jugged them, Sheba was VERY intent on the lambs. Guardian instinct kicking in? Oh boy! New play toys? I dunno and don’t want cow panel popping lambs to find out. She will get lots of supervised lamb time, but they need to get acquainted with Mom first. 

Domino is on my cull list, nice of her to give me two lambs for auction.


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## Kusanar

I love that ram lamb's face


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## Baymule

This morning Sheba and Sentry went in the lamb jug with me. They were both intent on snarfing up the milky lamb poo. Domino decided she liked the lambs enough to butt the dogs, so I put them out. Sheba kept a close watch on them.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> This morning Sheba and Sentry went in the lamb jug with me. They were both intent on snarfing up the milky lamb poo. Domino decided she liked the lambs enough to butt the dogs, so I put them out. Sheba kept a close watch on them.
> 
> View attachment 78303


I have actually heard somewhere that having a "predator" near by will make a ewe bond faster with her lambs, she stops ignoring them and starts protecting them. Maybe making a 2nd jug next to hers and leaving a dog in there might help?


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## Baymule

She is catching on. This is her second Lambing. Her first lambing was a single, so she was probably wondering where that extra lamb came from. LOL LOL


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## Ridgetop

So cute!  Should bring good money at auction too with those colors.  Check to see if the prices are higher with lambs at side or if you will get more for 3 individual sales.  Maybe sell the ram lamb as one lot at 2 months and ewe and remaining ewe lamb at side if price would be high enough.


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## Mike CHS

Thank you again for a Good Night smile.    Those are some great pictures.


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## Beekissed

Bay, they are gorgeous!!!  Love the colors of all three sheep and especially love that mohawk the mama is rockin'.    That good ram you've got has still got the goods, doesn't he?


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## Baymule

Ringo is awesome. Half my flock is on the cull list for 2021. When the lambs are ready to sell, Ewes are going too. It will be hard, they are pets, but it is time to move up to better ewes. The Dorper ram I had had a big butt, but was short coupled and threw small lambs.


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## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> Ringo is awesome. Half my flock is on the cull list for 2021. When the lambs are ready to sell, Ewes are going too. It will be hard, they are pets, but it is time to move up to better ewes. The Dorper ram I had had a big butt, but was short coupled and threw small lambs.



We'll be culling hard in the next few years as well....we really want a certain shape, size, conformation and parasite resistance, so culling is going to be pretty stringent for awhile. 

I really like my main ram this year but I'm still wanting something a little more...MORE.  All in due time.


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## Baymule

Isn’t she cute? Hay sticking out of her mouth looks like cat whiskers.


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## Mike CHS

She is pretty!


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## Beekissed

Bay, she's a beaut!!!  I hope some day to have pretty colored lambs like that.


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## Baymule

Beekissed said:


> Bay, she's a beaut!!!  I hope some day to have pretty colored lambs like that.


Run a black head Dorper ram through the flock. When mixed, the Dorper color gets spotty.


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## Sheepshape

What beauties.....they'll do you proud. My mob are only just going to the tup!


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## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> Isn’t she cute? Hay sticking out of her mouth looks like cat whiskers.
> 
> View attachment 78636


Yes, she is adorable.  I would have trouble selling a ewe that produced a pair of nice lambs like that.  But we are not constricted with the numbers like so many are.


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## Kusanar

farmerjan said:


> Yes, she is adorable.  I would have trouble selling a ewe that produced a pair of nice lambs like that.  But we are not constricted with the numbers like so many are.


Hey, just noticed where you are located. Hi from also the same general area!


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## farmerjan

@Kusanar , I noticed your area and have thought that once I get my life into some sense of normal, that I would pm you and maybe we could meet sometime.  With the ankle replacement, then the buying the house and all the things that have needed doing, besides all the normal day to day farming stuff, this year has been ....um....interesting.... not to mention the insanity of the virus and all that has entailed. Been wanting to make a trip and meet up with @Mini Horses  too one of these days.


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## Baymule

Her mother is short in length and small. Not what I want in the flock. Her grandmother is one of my original ewes, named Ewenique. Ewenique is a big pet, always twins, is a good mother and I have kept ewes from her. But with the exception of her, her descendants are all going to auction. The ewes I have kept from her were not sired by Ringo. If Ewenique has nice ewe lambs from Ringo, I may keep them. She herself will not ever leave, she has a soft spot in my heart. Even though this ewe lamb is sired by Ringo, I will not keep her. I have made my decision to cull and cull hard, take them to auction and buy better quality registered ewes. I'm keeping 4, maybe 5.


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## Baymule

Kusanar said:


> Hey, just noticed where you are located. Hi from also the same general area!





farmerjan said:


> @Kusanar , I noticed your area and have thought that once I get my life into some sense of normal, that I would pm you and maybe we could meet sometime.  With the ankle replacement, then the buying the house and all the things that have needed doing, besides all the normal day to day farming stuff, this year has been ....um....interesting.... not to mention the insanity of the virus and all that has entailed. Been wanting to make a trip and meet up with @Mini Horses  too one of these days.



It would be awesome for y'all to meet in person!


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> It would be awesome for y'all to meet in person!


Yes, it would! Would be nice having someone that could help with the hopefully future sheep that is in the general area.


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## Mini Horses

I'd love to meet up.   I do goats, not sheep....but, none would be at the meet.   😁  just us animal lovers.   I'm thinking the chicken swap in spring, @farmerjan goes and I plan to.  We could plan ahead and do it!


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## Baymule

We had 4 or 5 inches of snow yesterday afternoon and last night. Texas style, it’s already melting! Moonpie had a single ewe lamb last night. Her name is Sale Barn. LOL


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## Baymule

Sentry was in the sheep barn last night due to cold and snow. His pasture next to the barn has a part of the barn, but he wanted in with the sheep. Did he know Moonpie was in labor? Possibly. I’ve never had him in the barn while the ewes lamb, he passed the test perfectly. Good boy. His specialty seems to be cleaning up the ewe’s messy behind. LOL


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## Baymule

Trip wanted in this morning to go find the afterbirth, then snuffle around for that delicious milky baby lamb poop.


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## Mike CHS

That snow storm got here last night but ours is still on the ground.


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## Sheepshape

Over here we are just having horrible cold rain....leading to seas of gloopy mud.
Sentry lends in SO well colour-wise with the ewes that i had to look closely to see who was who. Good boy for not interfering with labour.
There's always something so totally endearing about lambs.....lots of lovely pics. too....thank you, Bay.


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## Fluffy_Flock

You got some gorgeous babies there Bay! We are starting lambing literally any day now so hopefully I will have some nice brag pictures to share here soon


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## Baymule

Fluffy_Flock said:


> You got some gorgeous babies there Bay! We are starting lambing literally any day now so hopefully I will have some nice brag pictures to share here soon


Can't wait to see pictures!


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## Mike CHS

What do you not like about Moonpies lamb?


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> What do you not like about Moonpies lamb?


Moonpie is on the cull list. I have her mother and grandmother, both on the cull list. They always have single lambs, nothing spectacular. I want to sell the so-so ewes, and buy registered ewes that come twinning genetics, and just better quality ewes.


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## Mike CHS

That's what I guessed but wanted to make sure.  The lamb has some nice lines and long legs.


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## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> That's what I guessed but wanted to make sure.  The lamb has some nice lines and long legs.


of course she does! Ringo is her Daddy! LOL


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## Daxigait

Baymule said:


> Moonpie is on the cull list. I have her mother and grandmother, both on the cull list. They always have single lambs, nothing spectacular. I want to sell the so-so ewes, and buy registered ewes that come twinning genetics, and just better quality ewes.


isn't it always hard to make the cull list. but we have to make those hard choices if we want to have better animals. not to mention be able to feed the ones we want to keep.


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## Baymule

Daxigait said:


> isn't it always hard to make the cull list. but we have to make those hard choices if we want to have better animals. not to mention be able to feed the ones we want to keep.


Yes, I have raised and named those on my cull list. They run to me when I call, they eat from my hand, they are pets. The flip side of that is that they are raised for consumption. To ever move forward into better quality, I must let go and replace them with ewes that better suit the direction that I want to go in.


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## Baymule

Lucy had twins last night. A ram and a ewe. Their names are Sale Barn. Lucy is not on the cull list, she gets to stay for now.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> Lucy had twins last night. A ram and a ewe. Their names are Sale Barn. Lucy is not on the cull list, she gets to stay for now.
> 
> View attachment 80807
> 
> View attachment 80808


Is she going to be on the cull list later? Just wondering why the lambs are immediately sale barn lambs. Nothing wrong with that, just learning.


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## B&B Happy goats

LET THE LAMBING begin, congratulations  Bay


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## Baymule

Kusanar said:


> Is she going to be on the cull list later? Just wondering why the lambs are immediately sale barn lambs. Nothing wrong with that, just learning.


Lucy’s sire was a poor quality Dorper ram. He was short coupled, no length of loin. He didn’t shed and neither does she. Even though she has twins, I haven’t been impressed with them.
My first sheep were 4 bred ewes, still have 3 of them, 1 is on the cull list. So when I needed a ram, I called the same lady we got the ewes from.  I relied on her to select a ram.   He wasn’t that great. I called my small flock my learning sheep and they have taught me well.
2 of my first ewes, Ewenique and Miranda Lambert, can stay until they die.  Everyone else is under scrutiny. 
Lambs this year will go to auction unless they really show a lot of promise.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> Lucy’s sire was a poor quality Dorper ram. He was short coupled, no length of loin. He didn’t shed and neither does she. Even though she has twins, I haven’t been impressed with them.
> My first sheep were 4 bred ewes, still have 3 of them, 1 is on the cull list. So when I needed a ram, I called the same lady we got the ewes from.  I relied on her to select a ram.   He wasn’t that great. I called my small flock my learning sheep and they have taught me well.
> 2 of my first ewes, Ewenique and Miranda Lambert, can stay until they die.  Everyone else is under scrutiny.
> Lambs this year will go to auction unless they really show a lot of promise.


Makes sense. Thanks


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## Baymule

Kusanar said:


> Makes sense. Thanks


I am selling half my ewes and all the lambs, unless there is an outstanding ewe or two, and take that money to buy better quality registered Katahdin ewes.


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## promiseacres

Baymule said:


> I am selling half my ewes and all the lambs, unless there is an outstanding ewe or two, and take that money to buy better quality registered Katahdin ewes.


This is a good idea, when we had sheep I wish we had gone with katahdins. But hey that's ok.


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## Baymule

The ewe lamb in the first post on page one has turned out to be a very nice lamb. To top it off, my sister gave me a picture of a lamb for Christmas that looked just like her. That sorta clinched it, and she just kept growing, looking better and better.

So I decided to keep her. I sent pictures to our daughter and asked for the granddaughters to name her. I have no idea where it came from, the minds of 4 and 5 year olds. LOL Her name is Frimplepants. Frimplepants is quite the spoiled little lamb, she loves to be rubbed and scratched. I sit on a milk crate and she comes straight to me for attention. She makes me smile.


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## Baymule

Lamb pictures just because they are so darn cute. No, he’s not dead.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> She makes me smile.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 80873


And who wouldn't smile at that face!


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## Baymule

Knock me over with a feather! Not only did Lagy Baa Baa lamb this morning, she had twins! Both boys or else I’d be sorely tempted to keep that spotty one! Lady Baa Baa is on the cull list, one of my original ewes, because she singles and her daughter and granddaughters single. No, I still won’t keep her. She is at least 6 years old. She looks like this was a hard birth, she and her line will be leaving. Against my better judgment, I will keep Aria, her granddaughter. Yeah, it’s the color. It doesn’t mean Aria gets to stay forever, just doesn’t get culled this time.


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## Kusanar

That spotty one is pretty cute!


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## Ridgetop

Cute lambs.  

My one sadness with my white Dorpers is that they are - ALL WHITE!  No adorable colors or spots!


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## Mini Horses

My goat herd is Saanens, Nubian and crossed.  Majority of them are white!  Occasionally I get some spots or color, mostly not.   Hard to count them -- one moves as it's game over. 😁   17 last year...all white.  This year my nubian buck bred most, so maybe color?  I can tell you that the Saanens white dominates.  .


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## Baymule

Today was a beautiful sunny day. I let the sheep in the yard to graze. I just had to take pictures, I figured y’all wouldn’t mind.

Frimplepants is out front. 3 Sale Barns are behind her.




more pictures just because


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## Ridgetop

I see what you mean about being tempted to keep that tri color just for its color pattern!  Lucky it's a ram instead of a ewe.


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## Baymule

Ewenique had twin boys today. 1 is solid black with a tiny white tip on his tail the other is solid white with a silver dollar sized brown spot on his left shoulder. I can't post their picture, my phone is updating!


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## Baymule

Bobcat alert! Neighbor Ron just called, he was on the property between us, after a bobcat. one got on their front porch a few nights ago and ate their 7 baby chicks. He just shot at one right at our fence, but missed. Neighbor Ron said there is two of them. 

So I went and put Sentry in the barn and lot with the sheep. Paris is in the side pasture that goes up to the lot, Sheba is in the front pasture that is up against the barn and lot, Trip and Carson are in the yard and can cover the front of the barn and lot. Sheep are surrounded by big dogs and have one in there with them. 

They have been going bat-sh!t crazy lately, both at night and during the day. Trip puts his nose in the air and trots to the side fence, he knows the bobcats are there. We haven't known what the dogs were alerting at, but now we do. 

My guess is that we have a female, either with kittens or will be having them soon. It seems when the ewes are lambing, it draws bobcats like magnets. Hmmmm.......... my laying hens are in a coop in the garden, not a very secure coop at that. I need to move them to the coop in the front pasture so Sheba can protect them.


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## Baymule

Here they are! Ewenique always has twins. She has been demanding attention lately, wanting belly rubs, back scratching and pulling the dead wool off her back. If I stop, she lifts up a dainty hoof and paws me.


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## Baymule

Two set of triplets this morning! All mixed up, I let the sheep out in the yard so I could sort them out. All boys, 1 in each litter very tiny and weak. 1 utterly rejected by mom. They were cold. I sent BJ to town for whole milk, cultured buttermilk and evaporated milk. I’ve haltered and tied both ewes, Miranda and her daughter Eve. Eve’s rejected lamb went first. I tucked him in my jacket, went to the house for towels, heating pad and hair dryer. I put a bottom of a dog house in Eves pen, put the cold lambs in on top of the heating pad, laid the hair dryer close, pointed at them and covered them with a towel, heads out so their little lungs don’t cook.

Eve’s lamb warmed up first, he was sucking fingers and my chin, HUNGRY! I tied her and held him to the teat until he got the hang of it. Hopefully she will claim him. Little stinker is STILL sucking! Her other two lambs had warm mouths and have got up and nursed. Reject is making up for lost time!

Miranda is always a good momma, her tiny one was just cold and weak. I warmed him up while Reject was sucking. Then I haltered Miranda and tied her. She fought, but I got the little guy up to her teat and got him to suck. Her teats are big, he is tiny and he had a hard time.

Finally it looks like all are full and laying down.  I’ll supplement with a bottle. Hope Eve accepts Reject, he finally got full and laid down. I untied Miranda, she’s a good mom, I just got to watch the little guy. I’m gonna loosen up Eve, but leave her tied.

Y’all wish me luck!

Eve




Miranda


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## Baymule

I pray I can get them all to survive.
Eve, I loosened the rope so she can nuzzle her babies.




Miranda. Full tummies, it’s nap time.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch

Baymule said:


> I pray I can get them all to survive.
> Eve, I loosened the rope so she can nuzzle her babies.
> View attachment 81231
> 
> Miranda. Full tummies, it’s nap time.
> View attachment 81232


Adorable! Did they both lamb without issues other than the third lambs getting cold/weak? I love the coloring on Miranda.


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## farmerjan

Good luck with them. At least you are not fighting temps in the 20-30's...... Hope they all get up and going....I know you will do all you can to get them started.


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## Baymule

1:00!!! BJ just got back from Town, brought me chicken. No wonder I’m hungry and thirsty!  

Eve slipped her halter and went to beating up on Reject again. So I put it back on her, last notch and loosely tied her again. Reject and the tiny weak one went to banging on her udder.

I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard that a little smear of Vicks on her nose makes them all smell the same. A little dab on their tail ends helps too. It’s worth a try. Got nothing to lose.

I have to brag on Sentry. I put him in the barn last night because of bobcat threat. He is a fantastic dog fo lambing. What a good boy! He was meant to be our dog!

Eating now, can’t wait to get back to my triplets!


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## Baymule

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Adorable! Did they both lamb without issues other than the third lambs getting cold/weak? I love the coloring on Miranda.


Yes both llambed  with no trouble. None of mine have ever needed help.


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## farmerjan

Vicks  or even a cheap perfume.... we used to use the cheapest perfume from a closeout shelf.... on the nose of the female (cow or ewe)  and then on the baby.... butt, neck, anywhere they are nosing the baby.  Put it on all 3 so she doesn't identify one differently.


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## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> Good luck with them. At least you are not fighting temps in the 20-30's...... Hope they all get up and going....I know you will do all you can to get them started.


Thanks Jan. You know I’ll pull out all the stops. Today I’m gonna concentrate on colostrum. Tomorrow I’ll start bottle supplements.


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## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> Vicks  or even a cheap perfume.... we used to use the cheapest perfume from a closeout shelf.... on the nose of the female (cow or ewe)  and then on the baby.... butt, neck, anywhere they are nosing the baby.  Put it on all 3 so she doesn't identify one differently.


I’ll do it! Thanks! It’s good to know that it worked for you!


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## Baymule

The vicks didn’t work. I swear that ewe can count. She ain’t having him, no way, no how. I’ve spent all day making sure all the lambs got colostrum. I brought Reject in the house and Miranda’s tiny wee one. She is being a good momma, but Tiny is small and weak. I gave them both a bottle.

@Mike CHS A please ask Teresa how many ounces and how often. Thanks!


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## Mike CHS

We gave ours 4-6 ounces four times a day. We did not feed them during night but we made sure they got a last feeding about the time the sheep bedded down.  At 3-7 days old,  8-10 ounces 3 times a day.

We started doing a bucket with nipples 12-14 ounces three times a day.

At three weeks on, 16-20 ounces two times a day.


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## Baymule

Thanks! I gave them each 2 1/2 ounces twice now, that are so small I didn’t want to over feed them. I just fed them, I’ll feed them again before we go to bed and tomorrow I’ll get on that schedule. Thanks @Mike CHS snd Teresa! I’m using the formula of a gallon of whole milk, poured out 2 cups, added 1 cup cultured buttermilk and 1 can evaporated milk.


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## farmerjan

The way we have done it is to take them away from the momma.... then put the smaller, weaker ones in with her first, let her smell and all, let them get a good nursing in,  then let the bigger one in after.  This way the weaker ones get a full belly and they get more energy.  Did it 2-3 days to get them all accepted.  But there are some that won't take more than 2..... and yes, some can count.....


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## Baymule

Nothing I did could convince Eve to take Reject. She absolutely did not want him. She got to butting him so hard that I was afraid she would hurt him. She wouldn't let down milk unless I put another lamb on the other side. Reject at least got colostrum, he sure has an appetite!  I just fed them again, Reject downed 5 ounces, Tiny downed 4 ounces, then Reject got the other ounce. They are both settled down and asleep now. I'll put Tiny back with Miranda tomorrow after a bottle. I may have to bring Tiny in at night for awhile, we'll see. 

We are going to Odessa next weekend. It's the middle granddaughter's birthday, our 25th anniversary, BJ's birthday later in the month, so we'll just have a party. We'll take Reject with us and the girls can bottle feed him. They ought to get a kick out of that.


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## Baymule

Lily just had twins, sex unknown. They are marked brown, black and white.


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## Ridgetop

Can you use the afterbirth to graft Reject on to Lily?  

Are the 2 ewes that had the triplets keeper ewes in your flock?  Are Reject and Tiny ewelings?  If you pan to keep them, maybe you should just bottle feed them both together.  Raising them together will help them eat better, and they will play together and keep each other warm.  Feeding 2 won't be much harder than feeding one.

If they are ram lambs bottle feed Make sure to take the to the auction sale right before Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday is March 28 this year so take them to the sale before March 28.  Hispanics will buy small lambs for Easter before Palm Sunday.  Tradition has them get the lambs around Palm Sunday, then the lambs are treated like pets until Good Friday when slaughtered for Easter dinner.  If you miss Palm Sunday sales, prices will dip after Easter.  Don't wait until Easter week. All your lambs should be 2 months old so prime age for Easter lambs.  

I used to take young kids to the auction just before Palm Sunday and got a higher price.  Don't wait until Easter week.


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## Baymule

Lily’s lambs are both boys, one is small, but he is eating good.

Aria just gave birth. She was getting tired, the feet were poking out, covered in yellow. I petted and talked to her. She pushed some more and the face was out. I cleared the nostrils and gently pulled the feet. A couple of minutes and it was out. She is licking it now, it’s trying to stand. Poor baby is covered in yellow, it must have been stressed.


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## Baymule

That makes 16 lambs with 2 more ewes to lamb.

Reject and Tiny are doing well. I got XXL puppy pads today to put in the dog crate, so much easier to clean up!


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## Baymule

Miranda would not take Tiny back yesterday. I suspected that if I took Tiny out for the night, there was a risk that Miranda wouldn't want her-and she didn't. But Tiny was so small and weak that I was afraid that she wouldn't make it through the night. That's OK, she sure is healthy and bright now! So I have two bottle babies. 

Aria was freaked out by her baby last night. Poor little thing took 45 minutes to even stand up. I was so concerned that I called @Ridgetop. While we talked, the lamb stood up and tried to nurse. Aria was weirded out by this slimy creature that wanted to nuzzle her udder and kept backing up. When the lamb did get close to her udder, she lifted her hind leg like a dog hiking his leg on a truck tire and moved away. Ridgetop and I concluded that I needed to tie her up and get the baby to nurse, so we said goodbye and that's what I did. This morning they both are fine, still haven't checked sex. Color appears to be white. 

Lambs are not interested in the creep feeder, I'll try again next week. But for now, I'm going to put Reject and Tiny in it during the day and feed them their bottles there.


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## Baymule

Well the creep feeder didn’t work out. It didn’t last till the water got hot. Those two little scamps popped outa there like it was nothing. Hmmm.... jugged ewes need to move out. Orphans are moving in!

First I watched Aria and her lamb, it’s a girl, BTW, to make sure they had worked things out. The lamb was nursing and Aria was a proud mommy. I let them out. Then I let Miranda and her lambs out, did I mention that I was mistaken and all 3 are ewe lambs?

Then I put Tiny and Reject in a pen deep bedded in hay. They ran around, happy with more room.




Last night when Aria gave birth, Sheba was on the other side of the cow panel, desperately trying to help. Wish I had captured Sheba sticking her tongue out, trying to reach the baby. LOL


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## farmerjan

Any chance Aria might help with the orphans?  Don't know what kind of udder she has.... any time they can get real sheep milk is a plus.... and they will have more strength and energy now to go after a teat.   Just a thought. 

 Don't want to upset the apple cart... but so many of our cows will "co-mother".... may not seem normal, but we just lost a young cow with her 2nd calf.  We suspect maybe hardware, but could not get her down through the 2 pastures to get her in for a couple of days, and suddenly she was dead.  Her calf is sucking off one or 2 other cows my son said, so we are going to leave it because it is about 6-8 weeks old and a bottle is not much of a success at this age.... The cows are getting silage, so they will milk a little better than if they were just on hay.....it may wind up smaller, but sometimes they are better off in familiar surroundings and with others of their own (peer) group that they are used to. 

I am very happy with cows that co-mother.... it might cover up a cow that does not milk as good as she should if her calf is "stealing" and so grows pretty good.  But often many of our cows are just so easy going that they figure "oh well" ;    and most don't get that accepting for the first few weeks at least.  Cows are protective of their calves, and as the calves get a little bigger, a little more adventurous, they will run around with other calves and the cows get less "vigilant" and more relaxed.
If you use this as a creep after the lambs get a little age on them, and the orphans are in with them, you may find them sneaking out and snitching a little off another ewe also. And maybe your sheep are not that accepting...


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## Ridgetop

Were Miranda's lambs the ones that were colored so pretty?  And are they going to be keepers?

I agree with Farmerjan about keep the lambs in the creep pen with the other lambs.  As long as the mamas can't get into the creep, that means that the "orphan" lambs can run in to escape if a ewe starts butting it.  They will grow better surrounded by buddies and keeping them in the creep is less work for you.  The other lambs will be copying their mamas to eat hay quickly.   The "orphans" will learn to eat hay faster if they are with other lamb that are nibbling on hay.  And yes, often lambs will sneak a quick drink from a different mom.  By keeping al the lambs together they will start to smell alike and in the confusion of mass lambs at feeding time the ewes often don't notice a little interloper.


----------



## Baymule

Aria is a FF and had me a little worried about her letting her own lamb nurse, but they figured it out overnight.

Miranda’s lambs are white, all 3 are ewe lambs. One of hers is Tiny, so I won’t keep her. The other two are nice healthy lambs, may possibly keep one or both.

The tricolored drop dead gorgeous lambs are all boys. . Won’t be keeping them. Eve’s lambs, black and white, are all 3 boys, won’t keep them either.

Just went out and fed Tiny and Reject in the pen/jug. They are like champs. There’s no holes for them to join the others, but it lets them be next to other sheep. 

I like the creep feeder idea. I may try that next week. We are supposed to go to Odessa this coming weekend, will take Reject and Tiny with us. Might possibly have ice and snow, if so, not going. No way I’m getting on Interstate 20, which at best is a demolition derby, throw in ice and it’s a body count.


----------



## Ridgetop

Bet the little girls will be thrilled with a lamb each to feed!!!


----------



## Mini Horses

Yep, ice and snow wo uld sure make it a no go for me!   Do you guys do computer face chats with them?   That might be something to consider if you're not.  Of course I don't know how but, they say it's simple.  Rounding them up at one time, not as simple. 🙃

Triplets!   When I first bought goats, I got a mini nub and her nursing doe kids. She was a first freshener then.   Following that, every year I had her she had trips and for 4 yrs, all boys.   When her doeling that came with her began kidding, always trip boys.  The fifth year, mom had a doe & 2 bucks....kept the doeling.  She has only had twin doelings, so far.   Sold orig two, but they sure helped with the feed bill each year.  Fed kids well, never shunned one.  Some does only want to handle two.


----------



## Baymule

I've never seen any of my ewes let another lamb sneak a drink. They immediately react and butt other lambs away. I'm going to keep Tiny and Reject in the pen in the barn during the day for a couple of weeks, then try the creep feeder.


----------



## Baymule

Ok, what do y'all think of this?

I've been racking my brains trying to figure out what did I do different, that 2 ewes that have NEVER had twins--had twins! And what made 2 ewes that have twins--have triplets? 

We were in drought mode last summer. I have little grass as it is, but in drought, it didn't grow back very fast after they grazed. The side pasture had a strip of rich giant bermuda that I watered. I tractored the meat chickens on it, planting the giant bermuda when I moved the tractor over daily. 

Then in late June, we cleaned out the sheep barn, BJ used the tiller to break up the deep litter, a neighbor kid and I shoveled it into the mule and we spread it over Pasture #1 and #2. We were blessed with rain shortly after that. 
I kept the sheep off to give the grass a chance to grow. 

(15) Making A Pasture | Page 37 | BackYardHerds - Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs & more

I had planted bahia grass seed in the horse pasture behind the barn last spring and kept the horses and sheep off of it. It got so dry that I wouldn't let the sheep go eat the browse because I was afraid of their sharp hooves digging up the struggling bahia. Finally we got enough rain to settle the dust and I put the ewes and Ringo in the horse pasture the last of August, right after putting Ringo in with the ewes.  They grazed it for a couple of weeks.



The sheep were also able to graze Pasture #1 and #2, where we had spread the compost from cleaning out the barn. 

I usually have good pasture available for them in the fall, but have never covered the ground with rich compost like that. Was that enough to give the ewes such fertility? 

So here's the kicker. I raised Giant Pink Banana squash last year. I had so much of it that I started feeding it to the sheep in late August for treats. I made pies, the sheep got the seed pulp and the cooked skins. They loved it. I chopped up the squash with a machete and gave it to them. They got a squash practically every day, sometimes 2 of them. So I'm thinking THAT is what I did DIFFERENT. Sure, they got good pasture and browse, but I usually have that available for them. 

(15) Giant Pink Banana Squash | BackYardHerds - Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs & more


----------



## Ridgetop

No idea what you did.  Sometimes a ewe that normally singles will twin just as a ewe that normally twins will single.   It is possible that feeding the squash gave them some extra vitamins, or it could have also been the time of year and weather when Ringo was breeding the girls.  

He was breeding the in August.  When did you remove their last group of kids?   Did they have more time than normal between weaning and breeding?  That might have allowed them to eat better and flush eggs.  

Or they are just being sheep, heard you discussing culling thm with 'BJ, and decided to throw you a curve ball!


----------



## Baymule

It’s gotta be a last ditch effort to stick around. LOL LOL


----------



## farmerjan

What you did is called flushing, even though you didn't do it on purpose.  By putting them on the fresh grass right after putting Ringo in, it was a "shot in the arm" idea.... the fresh green grass will cause the ovaries to produce more eggs.  We have done it often with the sheep.  Giving them good feed, and hay, keeps them in good shape, putting them on fresh grass and putting the ram in, stimulates the hormones, and that is what is called flushing.... done all the time by breeders wanting to increase the number of eggs released by the ovaries.  It can be done off season with a sudden infusion of grain that an animal doesn't get... but fresh grazing is the best way.


----------



## Kusanar

farmerjan said:


> What you did is called flushing, even though you didn't do it on purpose.  By putting them on the fresh grass right after putting Ringo in, it was a "shot in the arm" idea.... the fresh green grass will cause the ovaries to produce more eggs.  We have done it often with the sheep.  Giving them good feed, and hay, keeps them in good shape, putting them on fresh grass and putting the ram in, stimulates the hormones, and that is what is called flushing.... done all the time by breeders wanting to increase the number of eggs released by the ovaries.  It can be done off season with a sudden infusion of grain that an animal doesn't get... but fresh grazing is the best way.


I agree with this, also, maybe having the lesser feed last year kind of made them think food was scarce and then this year when they got a bunch they produced like crazy like deer tend to do after a drought year and how plants bloom like crazy when they are stressed because they think they are going to die so they put everything they have into making new babies.


----------



## Baymule

I usually have good fall grass to flush them before and/or during breeding. The only thing I did different was to spread the compost on the pasture, keep them off until late summer, and give them the squash. The browse they got in the horse pasture behind the barn is something they usually get too, although it was new sprouts, so that might be something. 

So maybe the richness of the composted grass, the new sprouts of forage, and the nutrition of the squash all together worked to increase the fertility of the ewes. I am sure going to plant more squash for them this year. Even if it didn't contribute to their fertility, as a treat, it was a big hit with them and only cost me the seed and water.


----------



## farmerjan

I certainly wasn't discounting the added nutrition of the squash.  Anything that is nutrient rich, can contribute to the "flushing".  But after an abnormally dry season the green grass would definitely add alot to their system.... Plus, growing the squash is not like a big money drain... so it has several benefits on many levels....
Years ago animals were fed alot of stored winter squashes and pumpkins and turnips/root vegs over the course of the winter to add to their diet in variety and in nutrition.


----------



## Baymule

I think it all worked together to the ewes benefit.


----------



## farmerjan

And a plus in your pocketbook in a couple months with extras to sell


----------



## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> And a plus in your pocketbook in a couple months with extras to sell


That's four more than I thought I had coming!


----------



## Sheepshape

Good nutrition increases ovulation up to a point, but when they get too fat they become less fertile. Your squashes probably 'pumped out the eggs', Bay ! 
Most of my ewes were a bit fat this year on going to the tup and the scanning results for 77 ewes is Triplets....3, twins.....40,  singles....... 32, 'empty (possibly very early pregnancy) .....3. lambing percentage 160% which is pretty good for the sheep type I keep. best never to count lambs until they are born though, as a lot can go wrong between now and then. 
You really don't want to be having many triplets as the ewe often cannot make enough milk to feed all 3 and so bottle lamb numbers can get high unless you can get them adopted by a ewes who has lost her own lamb or a ewe who is having a singleton and gives birth at the same time as the triplet birth.
Good Luck.!


----------



## Baymule

@Sheepshape you will have a lot of lambs! I've had 16 from 9 ewes, with 2 more to lamb yet. You have lots of experience with bottle lambs, I'm on my first 2. They certainly are fun. 

Both my sets of triplets had a very small lamb, I'm raising one on the bottle. The other ewe rejected a normal size lamb, but kept the other normal sized lamb and her "runt" lamb. One of the sets of twins from a ewe that NEVER has had twins, also had a small lamb.


----------



## Baymule

I got baby diapers yesterday. We got home only to find out they were too small. WAY too small! So we went back to town to get more. I went 3 sizes up. Even snuggled up tight, the diaper wanted to slide off Tiny, so out came the painter’s tape. It worked! Reject was another matter. The diaper was just short of covering his penis. Hmmm...  I had those too small diapers, so one placed under his belly and taped in place did the trick! They chased me around the house, through the kitchen and living room. Around and around we went. They stopped to pee, diapers worked!

They finally fell asleep, exhausted. At 9:30 last night, I fed them, repeated their exercise until they were tired and removed their diapers for the night. This is going to work. There’s got to be a better way to diaper baby lambs. There were dog diapers, but sadly they looked to be sized for a tiny toy puppy. They will soon outgrow being in the house, so I’ll use the baby diapers for now. Maybe next time I can do better.


----------



## Ridgetop

Do you think you will have problems potty training?   They look great.   Better reserve a spot in preschool now!


----------



## thistlebloom

When I lived at home we brought the bottle kids in the house for convenience, but probably more for entertainment. They got diapered so they could play indoors. They weren't in for very many days, as soon as they could jump out of their giant cardboard box crib we had to keep them outside in the goat pen. They are so much fun!


----------



## Ridgetop

Since we started our livestock journey  in dairy goats we always had bottle kids.  When there were only one or two, my children would bring them into the house secretly to play with them.  We did not have diapers for them.     

BOTTLE BABIES ARE  SOOOO MUCH FUN!


----------



## messybun

I love it! How have you gotten this far without having to bottle any? I want to know your secret lol.


----------



## Baymule

messybun said:


> I love it! How have you gotten this far without having to bottle any? I want to know your secret lol.


Darn good mommas that surprise me with lambs the next morning! LOL


----------



## Baymule

Checkers just had her first lamb. That makes 17 and Scottie still has to lamb. I’m thinking she may have twins. Checkers looked to be in labor when I was doing chores, so I went to go check on her after supper. The head was out and it didn’t take long for the birth to be complete.

Sheba wanted to lick the baby SOOOO bad! I have no doubt that ALL the lambs would be bottle babies if she were present at their birth. The ewes would utterly reject those freaky dog slobbered THINGS trying to suck. EEK!





Can’t a girl get a little privacy?? Giving birth here! I jugged mom and lamb so they could get to know one another.


----------



## Baymule

Ridgetop said:


> Do you think you will have problems potty training?   They look great.   Better reserve a spot in preschool now!


Actually they both run back to their dog crate to pee! LOL LOL Bet they wouldn’t do that if I took the diapers off.


----------



## Mike CHS

Ridgetop said:


> Since we started our livestock journey  in dairy goats we always had bottle kids.  When there were only one or two, my children would bring them into the house secretly to play with them.  We did not have diapers for them.
> 
> BOTTLE BABIES ARE  SOOOO MUCH FUN!



And they can be fun for years.


----------



## Baymule

Checkers had a ewe lamb last night. The lamb was hunched up and cold 3 hours ago. I sat in the hay, put her between my knees, tented a towel over her and warmed her up with a hair dryer. Before I started, her mouth was warm, but she looked cold, so I gave her a little help.


----------



## Mike CHS

A little help is a good thing.


----------



## Mini Horses

You know they make larger diapers in adult sizes, next time...


----------



## thistlebloom

Mini Horses said:


> You know they make larger diapers in adult sizes, next time...



For Bay??  I was sure she was house broke...


----------



## Ridgetop

You are having a banner lambing season!   Pretty colors and patterns and a lot of twins.   Twins are the only way to be profitable in sheep.  "One for the shepherd and one for the flock" as the saying goes.  Can't wait to see what you decide to keep, Bay.  They are all registerable as percentage Katahdins so you should really think about joining the Katahdin Breeders Organization and registering them now.   That way you have a head start on your herd when you get some registered ewes.  Lots to sell this year too!   Hay $$ or registered sheep $$!


----------



## Baymule

Mini Horses said:


> You know they make larger diapers in adult sizes, next time...


But these are not adult sheep!!   



thistlebloom said:


> For Bay??  I was sure she was house broke...


Most of the time. Sometimes I pee outside. 



Ridgetop said:


> Lots to sell this year too!   Hay $$ or registered sheep $$!


Registered ewe $$$$$


----------



## Ridgetop

Need to go to the RegionaL Specialty Show whenever it happens.  Not necessarily to buy at the show, but certainly to look at different bloodlines and hear judges' comments.  Specialty shows are lots of fun and often have seminars by visiting judges.


----------



## thistlebloom

Baymule said:


> Most of the time. Sometimes I pee outside.


That's a given, who's got that kind of time to trudge to the house when you're as busy as a one legged man in a three legged race doing chores?  😄


----------



## Ridgetop

Try renovating a house with 4 children and one bathroom.  The barn had a dedicated spot for #2.  The 3 boys (and man) used the tree outside the back door.  Pretty normal to see all 4 surrounding the tree while DD1 luxuriated in the bathroom.  (Luxuriate = more than 10 minutes.)


----------



## Baymule

We went to the post office and Walmart. Walmart was a zoo, everyone buying for Snowmeggdon. NO eggs. NO canned biscuits. So everyone is actually cooking breakfast? LOL Big gaps on the shelves.

I thought I’d be smart and I got lamb milk replacer so when I ran out of the whole milk, I could still feed the bottle lambs. They didn’t like it. It made their poop runny and STINKY. I didn’t like it either. So before Snowmeggdon hits, we got them more milk. I got 5 gallons. I’ll mix a little of the milk replacer in to stretch it out, but not a lot.

I just got a pot of chili on the stove to simmer, a Marie Calendars cherry pie in the oven, when it’s done I’ll go outside to do chores.


----------



## purplequeenvt

If your newest lamb is still chilly you could make her a coat from an old sweatshirt sleeve.

Cut the sleeve off to the right length for the lamb. Head goes through the cuff and make 4 holes for the legs.


----------



## Baymule

purplequeenvt said:


> If your newest lamb is still chilly you could make her a coat from an old sweatshirt sleeve.
> 
> Cut the sleeve off to the right length for the lamb. Head goes through the cuff and make 4 holes for the legs.


Thanks, it's good to see you here. I would like to hear more from you!


----------



## Baymule

purplequeenvt said:


> If your newest lamb is still chilly you could make her a coat from an old sweatshirt sleeve.
> 
> Cut the sleeve off to the right length for the lamb. Head goes through the cuff and make 4 holes for the legs.


I didn’t have an old sweatshirt, so I cut the arm off a sweater I didn’t like. First I stuffed the lamb in my jacket to warm her up, then she got a custom fitting. LOL I rubbed the sleeve on the ewe first. She sniffed her baby and accepted the sweater. Thanks for the great idea!


----------



## Ridgetop

Baymule said:


> Walmart was a zoo, everyone buying for Snowmeggdon. NO eggs. NO canned biscuits. So everyone is actually cooking breakfast? LOL Big gaps on the shelves.


Oh No!  Flashback to Covid last year!  Glad I have toilet paper.  Hee Hee Hee!
Stay home and warm, Everybody keep safe!  Whatever happened to "Global WARMING"?


----------



## Mike CHS

Happy Anniversary to you guys!


----------



## thistlebloom

It's almost too late, but I wanted to wish you and BJ a wonderful anniversary too! 
Oh, and I made a really delicious buttermilk chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in my new 9x13 Christmas present cast iron pan! It was so good! We about gobbled it all up, sorry you guys didn't get any. 
You should come visit up here where it's warmer and the weather is nicer.
😄


----------



## bethh

Bay, I just read the entire thread.   You have beautiful babies.   I just love Tiny and Reject.  We’ve had bottle babies in the house.   So much fun!


----------



## Baymule

Reject and Tiny are fed, drinking my coffee, then I’ll suit up and get outside. Looks like 6/8” of snow out there. It’s 7 degrees. Low tonight of ONE DEGREE.

I may have to come in periodically to warm up. Weather news caster warned of frostbite. Frostbite? Frostbite? In TEXAS?

I don’t know how I’m going to get water to all the animals. This will be interesting and a major %#£~?&@$”


----------



## bethh

Baymule said:


> Reject and Tiny are fed, drinking my coffee, then I’ll suit up and get outside. Looks like 6/8” of snow out there. It’s 7 degrees. Low tonight of ONE DEGREE.
> 
> I may have to come in periodically to warm up. Weather news caster warned of frostbite. Frostbite? Frostbite? In TEXAS?
> 
> I don’t know how I’m going to get water to all the animals. This will be interesting and a major %#£~?&@$”


Everyone dealing with freezing temps, don’t shoot me but can you post a snow pic.   I’ve been wanting a few days of snow.   Bay, I don’t envy you.   That sounds downright awful.   I live in the Atlanta area and grew up in Savannah.  Snow remains a novelty to me.


----------



## Kusanar

bethh said:


> Everyone dealing with freezing temps, don’t shoot me but can you post a snow pic.   I’ve been wanting a few days of snow.   Bay, I don’t envy you.   That sounds downright awful.   I live in the Atlanta area and grew up in Savannah.  Snow remains a novelty to me.



We have warmed back up now, but I took this pic a few weeks ago from the parking lot at work. This was ice with a few inches of snow on top of it which is what made the mountain so pretty.


----------



## thistlebloom

Bay, since this may become an annual event, maybe you should look into trough heaters. I know it will cost some initially, but they last for years and years, and will be a huge boon "in the event of". You just need to have them at the ready, with a plan for electricity. I wouldn't want to do what you have to do for even a week.


----------



## bethh

Kusanar said:


> We have warmed back up now, but I took this pic a few weeks ago from the parking lot at work. This was ice with a few inches of snow on top of it which is what made the mountain so pretty.
> 
> View attachment 81665


That is beautiful.  Where is it?


----------



## Kusanar

bethh said:


> That is beautiful.  Where is it?


Roanoke Virginia. It's just wet and muddy here now. Apparently 37 degrees and raining. We did just have an ice storm Friday and Saturday though but roads were fine again Sunday and all of the mud had thawed out.


----------



## bethh

Kusanar said:


> Roanoke Virginia. It's just wet and muddy here now. Apparently 37 degrees and raining. We did just have an ice storm Friday and Saturday though but roads were fine again Sunday and all of the mud had thawed out.


It’s so muddy here.   Everyday I look at expecting to see pigs wallowing around.


----------



## Baymule

@bethh snow usually shows every 2-3 years, we get 2-5 inches, by day 2 it is melting, by day 3 it is mostly gone. My kind of snow party!

THIS storm is I think they said a 50 year event. First we got an ice storm on Thursday, then sleet all day yesterday, Sunday, it started snowing last night and this morning it looks like 10 inches.

This is the house.





This is the sheep barn, open on 3 sides because of the ferocious heat we have. There is radiant heat barrier under the metal roof that makes a 10 to 15 degree difference in the summer. Doesn’t do much good right about now....





How do you like Carson’s photo bombing tail?

This is a shot of a small pen I use to jug ewes and new babies in, when needed. I had a lamb born during the ice storm Thursday so I jugged new baby and new mom, using cardboard to block the wind. I put them both in the barn yesterday, hoping they have bonded enough, figuring the lamb would stay warmer in my original shelter I built. The lambs pile up in there. Just look at the snow that blew in the pen! Divine guidance made me move that ewe and lamb!





In the front corner, by the T-post is another pen, Sheba curls up in the hay in the corner. It got dusted with snow too, but her corner was a little more sheltered.


----------



## Baymule

The snow is too deep to use my wagon to haul buckets of boiling water, so I carry them. I’ve done round 1, breaking ice and pouring boiling water in to melt ice. I have 15 baby lambs out there, keeping water for the ewes is critical. It’s up to 10 degrees now. It’s a freaking HEAT WAVE!!!! LOL LOL 

Horses were licking snow this morning, I opened up a hole so they could get a drink.

The two bottle lambs got hungry before I came back in, BJ warmed their milk and fed them for me. We both got sick last month, I’m ok now, BJ is almost over it and I’m not letting him outside to get cold and relapse. It’s tearing him up. He is keeping the water pots boiling and that’s a huge help.

More snow pictures


----------



## farmerjan

It looks so much like a normal snow here in Va..... I understand making sure the ewes getting water.... and using hot to melt it is better than just giving them warm water to drink.  Their metabolism will go up as their body drinks the cold water and warms it inside.... all that provided they are not out in a raging blizzard/ice storm and have some shelter.  Yours are doing fine.   Really,  we have done this for years.  Granted, our animals probably get a bit more of a winter coat... but your temps have been chillier so they have gotten a chance to get acclimated to it.  
YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS.  The animals will cope and you are always giving them more and better care than many do.....


----------



## thistlebloom

Wheels are useless in snow. If you have anything you can use as a sled it's 1000 times easier than carrying buckets.

I have to bucket water to my animals also, I use a sled that holds 3 buckets, and when I need to wash out and completely refill I use the sled that holds 5 buckets. That's usually about 50 gallons worth of hauling.
My exterior faucet froze up yesterday so dh helped me fill and haul water from our frost free hydrant up front. Not enough snow to use a sled then, so dh sweetly carried them for me. Today we finally have snow to cover all the bare bits. Only 3" so far but still coming. Back to being able to slide things. 

I am sorry for all of you getting hit by all this. You sure are getting character development! Not that you all weren't a bunch of characters to begin with...


----------



## Kusanar

bethh said:


> It’s so muddy here.   Everyday I look at expecting to see pigs wallowing around.


Yeah, and here we have lovely red clay, so slick as oiled glass and will suck your boots right off... Even the horses walk gingerly when it gets slick because they slide... and they have 4 legs, I'm just happy when I don't fall in it.


----------



## bethh

Kusanar said:


> Yeah, and here we have lovely red clay, so slick as oiled glass and will suck your boots right off... Even the horses walk gingerly when it gets slick because they slide... and they have 4 legs, I'm just happy when I don't fall in it.


It’s like that here.  I can’t go out unless hubby is here because my ankle is still recovering from the break last month.  I can get my muck boots on over my brace but the ground is so slippery.


----------



## bethh

Kusanar said:


> Yeah, and here we have lovely red clay, so slick as oiled glass and will suck your boots right off... Even the horses walk gingerly when it gets slick because they slide... and they have 4 legs, I'm just happy when I don't fall in it.


----------



## bethh

Baymule said:


> @bethh snow usually shows every 2-3 years, we get 2-5 inches, by day 2 it is melting, by day 3 it is mostly gone. My kind of snow party!
> 
> THIS storm is I think they said a 50 year event. First we got an ice storm on Thursday, then sleet all day yesterday, Sunday, it started snowing last night and this morning it looks like 10 inches.
> 
> This is the house.
> 
> View attachment 81672
> 
> This is the sheep barn, open on 3 sides because of the ferocious heat we have. There is radiant heat barrier under the metal roof that makes a 10 to 15 degree difference in the summer. Doesn’t do much good right about now....
> 
> View attachment 81673
> 
> How do you like Carson’s photo bombing tail?
> 
> This is a shot of a small pen I use to jug ewes and new babies in, when needed. I had a lamb born during the ice storm Thursday so I jugged new baby and new mom, using cardboard to block the wind. I put them both in the barn yesterday, hoping they have bonded enough, figuring the lamb would stay warmer in my original shelter I built. The lambs pile up in there. Just look at the snow that blew in the pen! Divine guidance made me move that ewe and lamb!
> 
> View attachment 81674
> 
> In the front corner, by the T-post is another pen, Sheba curls up in the hay in the corner. It got dusted with snow too, but her corner was a little more sheltered.


The pictures are so amazing.  Thanks for posting them.   My husband read to make salt water in a water bottle and put that in your water buckets and they won’t freeze.   We haven’t needed to try it.  Maybe google it.  At least if it’s not frozen, maybe it wouldn’t take as much to warm them?


----------



## Kusanar

bethh said:


> The pictures are so amazing.  Thanks for posting them.   My husband read to make salt water in a water bottle and put that in your water buckets and they won’t freeze.   We haven’t needed to try it.  Maybe google it.  At least if it’s not frozen, maybe it wouldn’t take as much to warm them?


Doesn't work, I have tried it. Some people have luck with it, but likely they wouldn't have frozen very solid without the bottle. Essentially the bottle moves around and keeps the surface from sitting still so it doesn't freeze as quickly. I have had to break the ice off of the bottle before.


----------



## Baymule

Trip wanted to come in, warm up and take a nap. Demon Diaper Lambs thought he was a trampoline.


----------



## Mike CHS

He doesn't seem to mind.  How are you liking the bottle baby routine?


----------



## Beekissed

thistlebloom said:


> Wheels are useless in snow. If you have anything you can use as a sled it's 1000 times easier than carrying buckets.
> 
> I have to bucket water to my animals also, I use a sled that holds 3 buckets, and when I need to wash out and completely refill I use the sled that holds 5 buckets. That's usually about 50 gallons worth of hauling.
> My exterior faucet froze up yesterday so dh helped me fill and haul water from our frost free hydrant up front. Not enough snow to use a sled then, so dh sweetly carried them for me. Today we finally have snow to cover all the bare bits. Only 3" so far but still coming. Back to being able to slide things.
> 
> I am sorry for all of you getting hit by all this. You sure are getting character development! Not that you all weren't a bunch of characters to begin with...


I'm hauling water in 5 gal buckets with lids, using the garden cart and the 4 wheeler.  I have a heated bucket in the paddock but have two black rubber pans I fill also.   If I had to haul it by hand instead of using the ATV, you can bet I'd be using a sled!


----------



## farmerjan

We use the salt water in the gallon jug and if the animals keep bobbing it find that it works quite well.  It has to be at least a 25% salt water solution... 1/4 c to 1 qt water... and no more than 1/2 gal full so it moves.  Also, if you can get a dark colored bottle... like an iodine jug from the vet... dark brown..... or a well washed out antifreeze jug... blue... it will draw more heat from the sun and work better.  Lots of us cattle farmers use them.

But again, realize we are putting them in 50-100 gallon tanks for the cattle.  Another thing.... black tubs make it easier to dump if the sun gets on them for a little bit.... and the fortex are less likely to split than the hard plastic.


----------



## Beekissed

Bay, all that snow sure looks pretty!!!  I know folks in TX be freakin' out about the temps and snow, but it at least it's been a pretty snow, huh?  We were supposed to get some of those low temps and we usually do anyway at the end of Jan and beginning of Feb, but they passed us by.  Freezing rain and snow, regular winter temps and that's about it.  

I'm glad all your lambs are doing well and you are gettin' er done on the water....please, please be safe walking around out there!


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> He doesn't seem to mind.  How are you liking the bottle baby routine?


they are adorable and fun. I'll be glad to put them outside during the day when it warms up next week. they gallop around the house, chewing on everything. They are instinctively "eating" grass and hay like their mom would be, if they had one. 

@Beekissed i don't have a sled, what would I do with a sled? This is busting records set in 1909! It could be awhile before we do this again! And the battery is dead in the mule, got one ordered and THAT ain't doin' us no good now! LOL 

I broke trails to the places I had to carry buckets to. I got 'em packed down pretty good. 

Getting another ice storm Wenesday and more snow Thursday. 

Winter. The gift that keeps backing up and crapping all over us. 

Governor Abbott has declared all 254 counties disaster areas.


----------



## Baymule

-3 this morning.  I have never, ever in my entire life of 65 years experienced such cold. Tomorrow we have another ice storm coming and Thursday we are getting more snow. The sun is shining, high today of 24F by 5:00.

We got three 40 pound bags of birdseed Wednesday, 6 days ago, opened second bag yesterday. BJ made birdseed peanut butter balls yesterday and the poor hungry birds swarmed it. I have some lard I rendered from our pigs, think we’ll add that today. They need the fats and extra nutrition. Before I even had my coffee, I ran out and scattered seed for them. 

I ran out this morning and brought Sheba and Sentry in. They both have been working hard, keeping our lambs safe. Two warm dead dogs in the floor right now.

We haven’t lost power and the water hasn’t froze up. We are Blessed.


----------



## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> @Beekissed i don't have a sled, what would I do with a sled? This is busting records set in 1909! It could be awhile before we do this again! And the battery is dead in the mule, got one ordered and THAT ain't doin' us no good now! LOL


Anything that can slide is a sled. A trash can lid with a flat handle works well (turn upside down to make a bowl). 

If you do use a sled, slide it on the same track each time and try to walk beside the sled track not in it to avoid breaking up the ice pack the sled forms, it will be easier to pull each time.


----------



## chickens really

Baymule said:


> -3 this morning.  I have never, ever in my entire life of 65 years experienced such cold. Tomorrow we have another ice storm coming and Thursday we are getting more snow. The sun is shining, high today of 24F by 5:00.
> 
> We got three 40 pound bags of birdseed Wednesday, 6 days ago, opened second bag yesterday. BJ made birdseed peanut butter balls yesterday and the poor hungry birds swarmed it. I have some lard I rendered from our pigs, think we’ll add that today. They need the fats and extra nutrition. Before I even had my coffee, I ran out and scattered seed for them.
> 
> I ran out this morning and brought Sheba and Sentry in. They both have been working hard, keeping our lambs safe. Two warm dead dogs in the floor right now.
> 
> We haven’t lost power and the water hasn’t froze up. We are Blessed.


Holy smokes! You have been hit by winter ❄️. That’s not good when you are not prepared for it. Thank goodness everything is okay and it won’t be around for long. Bundle up and take care. Finally we are out of our deep freeze. Brrrrr! It was horrible. 🥶❄️😞


----------



## Mike CHS

They say that it's 10 degrees here but it sure doesn't feel like it.


----------



## Beekissed

Baymule said:


> -3 this morning.  I have never, ever in my entire life of 65 years experienced such cold. Tomorrow we have another ice storm coming and Thursday we are getting more snow. The sun is shining, high today of 24F by 5:00.
> 
> We got three 40 pound bags of birdseed Wednesday, 6 days ago, opened second bag yesterday. BJ made birdseed peanut butter balls yesterday and the poor hungry birds swarmed it. I have some lard I rendered from our pigs, think we’ll add that today. They need the fats and extra nutrition. Before I even had my coffee, I ran out and scattered seed for them.
> 
> I ran out this morning and brought Sheba and Sentry in. They both have been working hard, keeping our lambs safe. Two warm dead dogs in the floor right now.
> 
> We haven’t lost power and the water hasn’t froze up. We are Blessed.


I was just going to ask about your power this morning, as I watched a news clip stating TX was in trouble with this cold.  I'm so glad you still have power, Bay!!!   How like you to be worrying about the wild birds instead of moaning about the winter weather....I love it!  

Stay warm, my friend, and be careful walking around out there, tending to animals.   My boy brought me some YakTraks and boy, did they make a difference!   I was skating to animal chores but these give me some more footing.  

I figure you have seen this but I just got to see it this morning, as I don't have TV and don't seek out the news....my son sent it to me:


----------



## Baymule

The inmates are running the asylum.


----------



## Baymule

I was reading a text from a friend and Mr. Nosy had to jump up and see what I was doing. I had phone in hand and got this picture, too cute not to share!


----------



## chickens really

Baymule said:


> I was reading a text from a friend and Mr. Nosy had to jump up and see what I was doing. I had phone in hand and got this picture, too cute not to share!
> 
> View attachment 81738


Awww! That’s so cute ☺️


----------



## Baymule

Because of the storms and extreme cold, I’ve kept the ewes and new lambs in the barn. I opened the gate to the lot so the sheep could run around. 


DAAAADD!!! What IS this awful stuff?





Here come the ewes!





And there they go! Hey! Come back!





I guess they can’t take a little SNOW!


----------



## Baymule

Okay Dad, we’re gonna try this again....





You never told us snow was so much FUN!!





WWHHEEEREE!!! You can’t catch me!!


----------



## B&B Happy goats

Lol, as horrible  as the snow and cold is...those pictures are adorable


----------



## Palomino

Baymule said:


> You never told us snow was so much FUN!!
> 
> View attachment 81785


The little white lamb in the front of this picture is so cute!! Looks like a gazelle, if there are white gazelles!!


----------



## Baymule

The lambs had a blast today. I can't wait for warmer weather. I have a nice pasture of lush rye grass and clover under 10" of snow, waiting for them. LOL


----------



## Palomino

Baymule said:


> The lambs had a blast today. I can't wait for warmer weather. I have a nice pasture of lush rye grass and clover under 10" of snow, waiting for them. LOL


Your pasture is going to be amazing after the snow melts! I hope the snow will be good for hay growers this year.


----------



## Baymule

SCORE!!! Our neighbor has a heating and AC business and is working every day, trying to fix heat for people-and taking no pay for it. I asked if they would pick up some milk for the lambs if they went to town. He got 2 half gallons, one whole milk, one 2% and they were the ONLY milk in the case. The store shelves are wiped out, trucks can't deliver to the grocery stores. We have him 4 dozen eggs for the milk, we are both delighted. He is also pulling people's cars out of the ditches when he finds someone who ran off the roads. 

The milk is for Reject and Tiny, the bottle lambs. I have a half gallon that they are working on now, 1 gallon and a half gallon that I had in the freezer. I am afraid of running out before the roads thaw, the trucks can run again, and we can make it to town. With these two half gallons, I think we'll make it. 

News showed 18 wheelers at the truck stops, the parking lots are full. I-20 is at a stop, trucks can't move and the lines are miles long.


----------



## farmerjan

Mix it a little heavier on the replacer.... they will be glad to get warm milk and will drink it a little better than they did as little tiny newborns.  THANK goodness for neighbors.... and thank goodness you got all that milk ahead of time..... but they will drink the replacer if they get hungry enough.  
And yep, they are soooooo cute when they get to go out and run and play in something new.....


----------



## Baymule

Fox news just interviewed Sid Miller, the Texas Ag Commissioner. The outlook is bleak. Dairys are dumping milk because trucks can't get there to pick it up. Grocery shelves are bare. He said it will take 6-8 weeks to get grocery stores stocked again. 

Because not enough gas went through the lines, (it was so cold that it wasn't moving) baby chicks in the chicken houses died of cold. Incubators had no power, the eggs died and there will be no replacement chicks for another 30 days. The chicken food supply has been disrupted.  Citrus trees in the Rio Grande Valley lost the fruit-it froze. Agriculture has been screwed over in this freeze. 

Ercot is the company that is in charge of the Texas power grid and said that everything was winterized before the storm hit. uhhhhhh....... nope! They changed the board of directors to a bunch of yay-hoos that don't even live here! The governor is angry, Sid Miller is beyond angry, they are out for blood.  DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS.

At this moment, I am SOOOOO glad that I got that milk replacer. I'll be mixing it in the remaining milk that I have to stretch it out. The lambs were 2 weeks old yesterday. I got to make it 2 more weeks. I'll be on a quest for milk, canned evaporated too. 

I need to email the hatchery where I get the cornish cross chicks. If they lost power, there won't be any chicks for me to pick up on February 24. I ordered 50 and 50 for March 24.


----------



## Baymule

I emailed the hatchery, maybe I'll get chicks, maybe not. We'll see.


----------



## farmerjan

You will be lucky to get the Mar 24 chicks.... be glad that you aren't getting the Feb 24th ones.... if the eggs did survive the chicks would be weaker.... have had chicks that survived power outages and then reheated the incubator and they usually just aren't as healthy.   If the hatchery had backup generator power then you might be fine.... but remember, you still could have some crappy weather.... you may want to think about a portable generator in the future to be able to run some essentials....
Freezes like this one that is so completely out of the norm for places like where you are and in the south in general will have longer lasting effects.  There could be some major damage to the trees as well as the lost crops this year.  Fruit will be very  hard to come by for the consumer... but moreso, the farmer is looking at financial disaster with not having any crop to bring in.   If there is severe damage to the trees, then you are talking about having to possibly replant complete orchards.   Years for a crop to come in.  
Vegs will be later to be planted, except for what was maybe already planted there and will be lost.... have to be replanted.  And not knowing your weather real well, but from what you have said, there are windows where you don't try to have some crops due to the extreme heat or dry weather.... 
I am not sticking up for the power company.... but realize that what they would consider "winterizing" is not for what you got hit with.  And they could very well have really screwed up.... but.... what you all call winter we call fall here.... perspective....As for the dairies dumping milk.... we do that here when the roads are bad and they cannot get in to get the milk from the farms.  The good thing is the farmers will get paid for the milk that is dumped since it is beyond their  control.... but a farmer hates to see the waste.  Still better than a tractor trailer in a horrible accident like was on the interstate there....  There is only so much "prep" that can be done when you get something like this 100 yr event.... some things you just can't really prep for much.... you can't store milk more than maybe 6 milkings ( the norm is 4 milkings or every 48 hours) , and most farms do not have the extra space in the bulk milk tanks to hold more than 4 or 5 milkings ( that is what it is called based on a normal 2 times a day milking.... even the 3x a day milking farms still say "4 " milkings in regards to the truck pick up schedules.... it is an every other day for many.... but with the size of so many farms now they often pick up every day.... the big farms will milk directly into the tankers and they get picked up as soon as they are filled..... several a day.....


----------



## rachels.haven

I may be grossly misinterpreted things because we always get a lot of snow and ice but @Baymule are your mail trucks running? Walmart, sam's or costco (or even amazon) may ship powdered milk. It may work in a pinch and it's nasty enough hopefully no one is buying it out. Baby chicks are under the mail shipping embargo, but supposedly merchandise isn't and powdered milk is light.


----------



## Baymule

@rachels.haven   I got a bag of lamb milk replacer before the storm, plus 5 gallons of whole milk. Still have a gallon, plus what the neighbor scored for us and a half gallon I had in the freezer-just because I have squirrel DNA and keep plenty around. They don't like the milk replacer, it gives them runny poop and it STINKS. But they will be going outside during the day soon, in at night until I can leave them in the barn with the sheep. I was afraid of running out of milk for them, so got the bag of milk replacer. I'll make it work. Mixing it with the cow milk.

Mail or garbage trucks are not running. Should be by Monday. Stores have been closed except for special shopping hours. It will get up to 34 degrees this afternoon, freeze again tonight and tomorrow night, then temps will continue to rise. 

The SUN is shining today!!!


----------



## Baymule

We went to town today. The freeze is over! Snow is melting! Went to the grocery store and I got ONE gallon of milk for the lambs and ONE loaf of bread for us. There are signs, one per household. Our neighbor Robert, got a half gallon at Walmart this evening for the lambs. I have 2 1/2 gallons, I feel rich. I’m mixing it with the milk replacer. Shelves are bare at the stores, lucky to get what we got.

Reject and Tiny went outside all day. I put them with the general population and they freaked out. So I jugged them. They got to play and get to know the other lambs. I think in a few days I can let them stay out day and night. They are sleeping in the dig crate, exhausted by their big day. 

All the lambs and grown sheep came through the bad weather unharmed and are doing fine.


----------



## Baymule

Scottie had twins 20 minutes ago. Scottie was a triplet, this is her second lambing. She singled her first lambing. This makes 19 lambs.


----------



## farmerjan

She's a very good considerate goat.  She crossed her legs and waited for warmer weather so you would not have to work so hard.... Congrats to you.  You are done now right?   And it is warming up. And the "orphan's" are going outside so no more constant cleanup.... Just think of how much water and laundry soap you will save.....


----------



## Mini Horses

Glad it was warmer for the lambing!  Bottle ones outside some.

It's almost as much relief as getting all the CCX done!    😁


----------



## Longhornbreeder101

Baymule said:


> Scottie had twins 20 minutes ago. Scottie was a triplet, this is her second lambing. She singled her first lambing. This makes 19 lambs.
> View attachment 81992


AWWWWW


----------



## Baymule

And this concludes Baymule's 2021 lambing. 

Scottie's ligs have been mooshy for a whole week! I've had pep talks with her about not turning her newborns into popsicles and please wait until it warmed up. And she did! 

Haha @Mini Horses I've been putting the bottle babies in the barn, in a pen, since it warmed up. I brought them back in the house tonight, but I think I'm done with this house lamb thing. Reject was EATING the puppy pad, just had to stop and yank them outa there. So now they can pee and poop on the towel all night and go to the barn in the morning.


----------



## Mike CHS

We enjoyed having bottle lambs but after the first time we now have Mennonite friends that will take them off our hands and they have cattle for milk.  We did the math on Princess and found she cost twice as much to get to the weaning stage as what she was worth at that point.

Congratulations on a good lambing!


----------



## Baymule

There’s more milk in those lambs than what they are worth. Sometimes the things we do don’t make much sense, but we do it for the love of it.

Ewes want the bottle milk. I sat on a milk crate to feed Reject and Tiny and got mobbed by ewes trying to take the bottles away from the lambs. They even butted the lambs away from their bottles in their efforts to high jack the milk! I even got bit! Crazy darn sheep! So for the last feeding, I called and the babies came running as did all the rest of the sheep. I put Reject and Tiny in the creep feeder and blocked the opening with the milk crate, which I sat on to give them their bottles. My reward was seeing them eating feed from the pan when the bottles were empty. Who knew ewes would want the darn bottles? Even Ringo looked hopeful, at least he didn’t bite me.


----------



## Baymule

Bottle feeding went well this morning. I called, Reject and Tiny came running, I pushed them through the opening into the creep feeder, climbed over and fed them. I put in fresh feed, 2 lambs went in and started eating. Tiny and Reject copied what they did and started eating too.

I have to brag on Sentry. He is so wise, so smart, so understanding, it blows me away. He wants in the barn every night to guard the babies. He waits at the gate to go in. He respects the ewes space and doesn’t interfere when they are giving birth. He doesn’t mess with the brand new lambs like my other dogs would. All those birthing fluids and the afterbirth are too great a temptation, but not for Sentry. He knows his job, he knows he has a special position and he is proud of his work. I let him out in the morning, sit in a lawn chair, praise and hug him and he wallows in my adoration. He has made one he// of a dog, worth every penny we spent on his surgeries, worth all the time spent on his recovery, worth all the heartache and worry, wondering if he was going to recover enough to even be a yard dog and bring happy with that. Just look at him now. Running, working, fiercely protective, not only knows his job, but takes it a step further, he insists on it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Sentry was meant to be our dog.


----------



## Mike CHS

You aren't making the mistakes that we did. We raised the two bottle lambs separately except for being with Maisy and to this day, Princess is a loner and we haven't figured out if she thinks she is a dog or human or some of each. 
She goes with the flock but she is always a bit further away from them than all the others.

Sentry just makes you smile for all of the right reasons.


----------



## Baymule

We do the best we can, making mistakes and taking our lumps and bumps along the way. I am so grateful for this forum and the wonderful people here, that words cannot express my gratitude.


----------



## thistlebloom

Good dog Sentry!


----------



## farmerjan

So glad that Sentry is doing so well, and his health has seemed to plateau to where he can manage what he wants and needs to do.  I so hope that Sheba learns from him too.  But he is doing what he feels best and what he knows is what you want and respect the most from him.  Bless you for doing what you have done for him.... he is paying you back in the best way he knows how....


----------



## Baymule

I have never tagged sheep until last year. I always sent lambs to slaughter or I kept ewes for breeding. I registered for scrapie and got my tags, we took 3 to auction last year. Tagging has never been a big deal. I knew my sheep and recognized the lambs.

Well THAT has changed! I suddenly realized I had a butt load of WHITE lambs. Now what? Tagging the colored ones was easy and I tagged the last 3 births of white lambs. But for the rest..... I squirted blue food coloring on a white lamb when I saw him nursing his mon. Today I tagged the colored lambs, the blue spot lamb and all but 3 of the white lambs. I just waited for them to nurse and grabbed them. Only 3 more to tag. I think from now on, I’ll be tagging lambs when they hit the ground. Duh.


----------



## Baymule

Look at Sheba! Quietly working.






This was so cute! 2 lambs asleep in the wagon where I put hay, and Frimplepants looking up at me.


----------



## farmerjan

That is why @Baymule  I used to try to tag all calves as they were being born.  It is hard to figure out which black calf goes to which black cow when they have been born within a week of each other.... and it is easier to tag them at less than 24 hours old when I could catch them between my knees and hold them and grab an ear and tag.... then I got to where I could "sit on them" if I could catch them on the ground asleep, and could get them tagged that way.  But the last 2 years I just have not been able to do it.  DS  tries to tag some as he checks them as they are calving.... so that helps although he misses some.  Still, it helps to know some of them that are matched..... So now we get them tagged and then I will watch to see what # calf went on what # cow, to match them before they get moved out to summer pasture; so that we get the right pairs moved together.  
I can tell some of them, just different "shades of black"... and like you, any that have a little spot of white or are black white faced  so I can identify them.  But when there are 20 black ones it can be interesting. And catching a 100+ lb calf is a little more strenuous than a lamb..... anything we don't get in the first day or 2 will get done when we run them through the chute before they go out to pasture.


----------



## Baymule

Creep feeder is working. The bigger lambs go in and eat first, then the smaller lambs. I give Tiny and Reject their bottles in there to encourage them to eat the feed. They are in this picture, facing away from the feed pan.


----------



## farmerjan

You're doing something right..... they look right about the size of the others.... that is real good for bottle babies.  Dam raised babies always do/look better than bottle babies simply because they get to eat when they want, all they want.  So hats off to these 2 looking pretty darn equal to the rest.


----------



## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> You're doing something right..... they look right about the size of the others.... that is real good for bottle babies.  Dam raised babies always do/look better than bottle babies simply because they get to eat when they want, all they want.  So hats off to these 2 looking pretty darn equal to the rest.


THANK YOU! That is a lovely compliment. The lambs in the picture are the bigger, older by a week or two then the rest.  We have enjoyed them, they are so cute. They are also a lot of work, we have more in them in milk money than they are worth, but we weren't about to let them die. They are healthy and growing. Tiny is even catching up to her sisters, she was the runt. Hope she keeps growing!


----------



## Mini Horses

Yeah, white on white -- who's you momma???    .   19 kids last yr, 17 white.  But 12 were boys, so leaving anyway.

Don't know about sheep but, goats tend to hang in families.  So even when weaned, at night they'll pile up together.  I've gone in and marked them that way to tag or collar next day.  Much easier if  markings and colors!


----------



## Baymule

Well, I just went down my list of tagged lambs and went through the lambing thread and figured out who the last 3 untagged lambs are. Two, a ewe and a ram lamb are Lucy's. The ram is outstanding, long in the loin and a big boy. Nice lamb. The other one is a ewe lamb, belonging to Miranda. So I can tag the ram, but will have to watch for one of the ewe lambs to nurse, grab her and tag her. Then I can tag the other one.


----------



## Mike CHS

Teresa and I tag team them if we don't get them tagged by day two.  We walk around until we ID a lamb and I pull a treat or two out of my pocket to give the ewe and while she is begging for the treats, the lamb stays close to mom and is snagged by one of us.   We lamb in the field though so we try to get them fairly quick.  Last year was a pain since at one point we had over 50 lambs out there.


----------



## Baymule

Today we went to the auction in Emory, just for the fun of it. Small weaning size lambs didn't bring much $50 to $75. Lambs a year and older brought up to $280, average around $200. Rams sold better than ewes. Goats were about the same

Horses were low, $75 to $150 to a kill buyer. One was saddled and ridden in the ring, he brought $900. Several nice horses brought in the $500 range.

I tried to follow the cattle, but have a hard time following the auctioneer. I did catch the price on some black Angus looking calves at $1.48. There were a bunch of Brahma that tried to take the ring apart. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, just taking a day for us. Then we went home, fed the bottle lambs and went to Longhorn Steakhouse in Tyler. We told them were celebrating our 25th Anniversary, late, because were snowed in on our Anniversary. They gave us dessert on the house! All together, it was a nice day.


----------



## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> Well THAT has changed! I suddenly realized I had a butt load of WHITE lambs. Now what? Tagging the colored ones was easy and I tagged the last 3 births of white lambs. But for the rest..... I squirted blue food coloring on a white lamb when I saw him nursing his mon. Today I tagged the colored lambs, the blue spot lamb and all but 3 of the white lambs. I just waited for them to nurse and grabbed them. Only 3 more to tag. I think from now on, I’ll be tagging lambs when they hit the ground. Duh.


A lady I watch on youtube that lambs out 400ish ewes has a pretty slick system. She has 4 colors of "spray paint" which I assume is livestock paint. She does 1 color for singles, another for twins, another for triplets, and for the rare quads and quints she has another color. When the ewe is done lambing, she sprays all of them with the same color and number. So, the first ewe to lamb is sprayed 1 as are all of her lambs. Makes it easy to know at a glance if you see an ewe by herself that she should have twins based on the color and you can tell which are hers based on the numbers. She tags as well, but she tags with little rfid tags that you have to scan to read so she only reads tags when she is weighing or deciding who to keep.


----------



## rachels.haven

...sounds like Sandi Brock from "Sheepishly Me" to me.


----------



## Kusanar

rachels.haven said:


> ...sounds like Sandi Brock from "Sheepishly Me" to me.


Lol, yep


----------



## Baymule

rachels.haven said:


> ...sounds like Sandi Brock from "Sheepishly Me" to me.


Who is this? Am I missing something? 

@Kusanar livestock paint! Numbering the ewes and lambs is a brilliant idea. I wonder how long the paint lasts.


----------



## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> Who is this? Am I missing something?
> 
> @Kusanar livestock paint! Numbering the ewes and lambs is a brilliant idea. I wonder how long the paint lasts.





			https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmVMNXTsmxr1wkaQ5sExJ9A
		


Here is one of her lambing sets of videos, she should spray some lambs in one of those. 


			https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8sBg1SXakZv24S9j9zOXW_HPdo-g72u4


----------



## rachels.haven

She raises sheep like cornish crosses, but she seems to know her stuff. I watch her stuff because a lot of the sheep stuff correlates with goat stuff and she is a lambing/kidding expert. I doubt I could do what she does. SO MUCH SHEEP. She does have CL in the flock though-a big "no no" for goats.


----------



## Baymule

Thanks for the links. I’ll watch them on my laptop, on my phone now.

CL should be a big no-no in sheep too. I don’t want it in my flock! I got lucky with my first 4 ewes and ram, dumb luck I guess. I KNOW Ringo was tested 9 ways to Sunday and back, so no problem there. Soon we will be looking for quality registered ewes and I am going to be picky.


----------



## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> Thanks for the links. I’ll watch them on my laptop, on my phone now.
> 
> CL should be a big no-no in sheep too. I don’t want it in my flock! I got lucky with my first 4 ewes and ram, dumb luck I guess. I KNOW Ringo was tested 9 ways to Sunday and back, so no problem there. Soon we will be looking for quality registered ewes and I am going to be picky.


I believe most if not all of the disease issues she has in her flock came in with the first ewes she bought years ago. She didn't know better and got sheep she thought were healthy only to bring those diseases onto her property. 

She now only brings in new rams (tries to outsource her rams and keep back ewe lambs from her flock) to bring in new blood but it is easier to be picky on rams as you need less of them. 

She MIGHT be able to cull her entire flock and sanitize the barns, but since they spread their bedding and manure on their fields that they grow crops on to feed the sheep I'm not sure that would even work as the land it's self may be infected at this point. Since she only sells meat sheep to market and doesn't sell sheep to other farmers and is VERY clear as to what bugs she has on her property and in her flock and what her maintenance is to keep it down and not making much impact, the very rare times that someone asks her to sell them some sheep directly, they know exactly what they are looking at and what they will be getting.


----------



## Baymule

I will be selling some ewes for the first time. My previous culls went to slaughter. These are good ewes, but don’t fit the direction I’m going in.


----------



## rachels.haven

I think she has orf, CL, and chlamydia. IDK if she sells breeders or just terminal animals. She is transparent, and I respect that. The thing that amazes me other than the multi week whirlwind lambings 3 or 4x/year is that she doesn't appear to have worm issues. I guess you can breed for that especially in meat animals.
With all those diseases out there and more, you did get lucky @Baymule , and I'm so glad you did. You sheep are nice!


----------



## Baymule

Today was a gorgeous sunny day. The ewes and lambs were enjoying the sunshine and grass. Tiny and Reject stayed on my heels. It was a sit in the grass, hug lambs kind of day. BJ was watching and he snapped pictures.






Sheba saw the lambs getting attention and wanted some too.










Sentry came running up and gave me a slurpy kiss.


----------



## Baymule

Haha, my plans were to sell all lambs this year........ I’m selling 6 ewes so I can buy registered Katahdin ewes. So now that all my ewes have lambed, I’m still selling 6 ewes to cull the flock. About selling ALL the lambs.... Lucy, daughter of Miranda, had an outstanding ram lamb, so nice that I’ll try to sell him as a commercial flock sire. Her ewe lamb is super nice too-KEEPER. Miranda herself had triplet ewes, one is Tiny, bottle baby, all 3-KEEPERS. Then Scottie, also daughter of Miranda and a triplet herself, gifted me with 2 ewe lambs-KEEPERS.

Selling 6 ewes from the flock, keeping 6 ewe lambs........ I am seriously afflicted. I almost forgot, keeping Frimplepants too! 

Looks like Miranda is going to be my foundation ewe for my commercial flock. I can’t wait to get some registered ewes.


----------



## Mini Horses

Your GRASS is lovely !!!   I know how long and hard you have worked for that.  Ya did good.   Also love that your hair matches the lamb colors.        Those bottle lambs think you always have food for them.  My one bottle babe, at 3 yrs, still expects a treat.


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## farmerjan

And they say to wait 5 minutes and the weather will change in the north?????   Put a couple of your pictures side by side from a couple weeks ago with the ones you just posted above.... Talk about "changeable".....Can't hardly believe the grass after all the snow.


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## Baymule

The 13 year old granddaughter went on a Christian retreat with a friend and her family. She will be back Friday night. Our DD and DSIL went away to rest, sleep, do nothing and put their stressed brains back together. They will be back Friday. The two little girls are here. They have bottle fed the lambs, the lambs nibble their rubber boots, jackets, pants, hair, whatever they can get. The girls are delighted.





Ewenique came up for her share of attention. She’s never going anywhere. Pictures like this are priceless.





A mischievous lamb tugging on jacket fringe!





Tiny learning how to unzip a jacket.


----------



## Mike CHS

Pretty lambs and even prettier young ladies!   Your pictures captured how much they are enjoying themselves.


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## farmerjan

A bundle of joy, fun, laughs.... you name it.  SOOO cute!


----------



## Kusanar

I love in the first picture how Tiny decided to kneel while drinking.. She thinks she's big!


----------



## thistlebloom

It's all beautiful!


----------



## bethh

Baymule said:


> The 13 year old granddaughter went on a Christian retreat with a friend and her family. She will be back Friday night. Our DD and DSIL went away to rest, sleep, do nothing and put their stressed brains back together. They will be back Friday. The two little girls are here. They have bottle fed the lambs, the lambs nibble their rubber boots, jackets, pants, hair, whatever they can get. The girls are delighted.
> 
> View attachment 82560
> 
> Ewenique came up for her share of attention. She’s never going anywhere. Pictures like this are priceless.
> 
> View attachment 82565
> 
> A mischievous lamb tugging on jacket fringe!
> 
> View attachment 82567
> 
> Tiny learning how to unzip a jacket.
> 
> View attachment 82568


These are precious picture.


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## Baymule

Well, since I can't part with Reject, he is going to be a companion for Ringo. Who am I kidding? I love this little stinker and just can't part with him, He'll probably be more my pet than a ram companion, but that's ok. Since we are going to keep him, I changed his name from Reject to Panda because of his black eye spots. He's too cute and personable to keep calling him Reject.  We borrowed the banding contraption from @Devonviolet and banded him 4 days ago on Monday. After his bottle, he just wants lots of petting and scratches. I sit on the milk crate and he lays his head in my lap. I don't think I need to raise any more bottle lambs, I just can't part with them! Now I have to teach Panda his new name.


----------



## Show Sebright

Baymule said:


> Ok, it started a little early, there will be another one, but the rest will be in February 2021.
> I had Ringo with 2 ewes to sell as bred ewes. The buyer lost his job due to Covid and oil patch layoffs. He found another job, but not what he was making. House note, car notes, wife and 3 kids supersedes buying a couple of ewes. I totally get that and told him when things improve for him, if he still wants to raise a few Sheep, we will get him fixed up.
> 
> Domino had twins last night, a ram and ewe. Of course they are adorable.
> 
> View attachment 78268
> 
> The ram lamb.
> 
> View attachment 78267
> 
> The ewe lamb
> 
> View attachment 78269
> 
> Domino had a single her first lambing, he was big and his front feet were bent forward at the pastern, but they straightened out. She is small and short coupled, her sire was that short backed Dorper ram I had. LOL Autocorrect changed sire to diet. That’s not even close!
> 
> If she had one lamb, she seemed to be content, ignoring the bleats from the other lamb. I never jug my ewes, but thought I might oughta jug this trio. All those other ewes were confusing the lambs, all 3 needed some close time together. Autocorrect changed JUG to HUG! I do too hug my sheep!
> 
> View attachment 78270
> 
> The space is horse wire on 3 sides, 1 side is a cow panel. I put a half of a hog panel over it and tied it tight with hay twine. They are so tiny and not attached to their mom enough to suit me. I was afraid they would pop through the cow panel.
> 
> Sheba and Sentry went in the barn with me to check out the lambs. Another reason I jugged them, Sheba was VERY intent on the lambs. Guardian instinct kicking in? Oh boy! New play toys? I dunno and don’t want cow panel popping lambs to find out. She will get lots of supervised lamb time, but they need to get acquainted with Mom first.
> 
> Domino is on my cull list, nice of her to give me two lambs for auction.


Why do you shave the bottom half is the ewe and leave the top unshaven? It looks funny but I think there is a reason to it.


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## Kusanar

Show Sebright said:


> Why do you shave the bottom half is the ewe and leave the top unshaven? It looks funny but I think there is a reason to it.


They aren't shaved, they are hair sheep that are shedding


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## farmerjan

Some of the hair sheep breeds have some wooled sheep in the background and it is dominant.  So it takes FOREVER for it to get bred out.  In the meantime, the ones that have it, will shed with the wool part mostly on the top, not shedding well or even at all.  Our White Texas Dall sheep have some wool back in the one line we were using.... so there were some that did not shed as well.... and we are talking generations back... 
Some of the hair sheep shed cleaner and faster than others.  Our Dalls that are straight bred, shed fast and clean, like a goat sheds out.   And no, there is no "goat blood" in the sheep.  

One thing, wooled sheep are often "crutched" before lambing.  The wool around the hindquarters and the back of the belly towards the udder is "sheared"  so that the lamb has a better and easier chance to find the udder and suck without getting on the wool and not getting the teat.


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## Baymule

These are hair sheep. Some of these don’t shed off real good. I will eventually cull out the ones that don’t shed well.


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## rachels.haven

Kusanar said:


> They aren't shaved, they are hair sheep that are shedding


You're not supposed to tell them that! You're supposed to make something up, like with lamancha ears.


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## Baymule

Show Sebright said:


> Why do you shave the bottom half is the ewe and leave the top unshaven? It looks funny but I think there is a reason to it.


Because my sheep are punk rockers and like mohawks. On holidays I spike their mohawks up in various colors and the local TV news stations come out and interview the sheep. I play heavy metal rock in the barn and the sheep dance hip hop and sing BAA!BAA! BAA! And the chorus goes I'M BAAAAAD! I'M BAAAAD! 



rachels.haven said:


> You're not supposed to tell them that! You're supposed to make something up, like with lamancha ears.


How'd I do?


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## rachels.haven

Perfect!


----------



## farmerjan

Baymule said:


> Because my sheep are punk rockers and like mohawks. On holidays I spike their mohawks up in various colors and the local TV news stations come out and interview the sheep. I play heavy metal rock in the barn and the sheep dance hip hop and sing BAA!BAA! BAA! And the chorus goes I'M BAAAAAD! I'M BAAAAD!
> 
> 
> How'd I do?


----------



## Kusanar

rachels.haven said:


> You're not supposed to tell them that! You're supposed to make something up, like with lamancha ears.


Lol, I'll do better next time


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## Baymule

@Show Sebright i hope you have a good sense of humor. We joke around, everyone can always use a good laugh. The reference to Lamancha ears is that Lamancha goats have tiny ear flaps, almost thumb nailed size, which confuses people accustomed to long floppy ears. At shows and such, Lamancha owners get all kinds of questions about their lack of ears. Many have refined smart aleck answers such as “Ears are a delicacy. We cut them off at birth and fry them for sandwiches.” They say things like that just to see the look of horror on people’s faces. Dark humor. LOL LOL 

Us sensible people got called out for our truthful answers by @rachels.haven so I had to come up with something silly. Just know we aren’t laughing AT you, but have included you into our BYH family. You get to laugh WITH us as an honored member.


----------



## Baymule

@rachels.haven do you have pictures of Lamancha ears and long floppy goat ears to show @Show Sebright what we are joking about?


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> @rachels.haven do you have pictures of Lamancha ears and long floppy goat ears to show @Show Sebright what we are joking about?



I'm not @rachels.haven but here you go. Lamancha on the left and Nubian on the right (both pics pulled from google images)


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## Baymule

I thought y’all would like to see how we move the sheep. They have been in Pasture 2, up front and across the driveway. I put out their feed, call SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! BJ opens the pasture gate and they can’t get to the barn fast enough. Even the lambs have learned to race to the barn.





















Tiny and Panda did not join the mad rush. They stayed with BJ and he walked them down the driveway. He is charmed by their adoration.














When they got closer they ran to me and in the barn they went!
And that’s how we move sheep from barn to pasture and back to the barn in the evening.


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## Mike CHS

Same here but I found out last year that doing that with 75+ sheep it can be hazardous to your health as that gate comes open.


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## Baymule

You definitely gotta stand back to avoid getting knocked down. I have to put their feed out or they search frantically for a nano second, turn around and run back out. LOL


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## farmerjan

Same with the cows at pasture..... have to get feed in the troughs, then go call, and when they get close open the gate to the pen.... otherwise, if you don't get most of them up fairly close, the first ones in will pig down the grain/pellets, and the laggards will not want to come in because there won't be any left... and the "pigs" will run over you trying to get that last bit you were saving to give the late ones.... And believe me, getting run down by 20,  1100 lb cows is a hazard to your health.... especially with knees that don't work good!!!!
But the up side is it is so nice to not have to go chasing animals.... although we usually have a few that are not as easy to get in.... a few that are standoffish, and then any bought animals that don't really get the procedure.....but if it was raised here, it knows what a call to come is for.  We always try to give them some feed, or some real good alfalfa hay if the pastures are short, when we call them.... often not even closing gates or anything.... just so they know that being called there is a reward.....


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## chickens really

I saw this and instantly thought of you Baymule..💞🐑🐏🐑


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## farmerjan

chickens really said:


> I saw this and instantly thought of you Baymule..💞🐑🐏🐑
> View attachment 83483


Love,  Love,  Love,  it.....     .


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## Baymule

Haha, that is so funny! I love it!


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## Kusanar

chickens really said:


> I saw this and instantly thought of you Baymule..💞🐑🐏🐑
> View attachment 83483


1, 4, 5, 7


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## chickens really

I sheepishly share this 1970s clothing ad with you!   Please post pictures if you decide to paint the sheep..😂👏


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## rachels.haven

I needed this in my life. Somebody pass me a sheep!


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## Baymule

@chickens really where do you find these? Priceless, love the plaid sheep! That gives me ideas....... Haha, ever seen a purple spotted Appaloosa horse? All you need is a spray can of Blu-Cote.


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## chickens really

Baymule said:


> @chickens really where do you find these? Priceless, love the plaid sheep! That gives me ideas....... Haha, ever seen a purple spotted Appaloosa horse? All you need is a spray can of Blu-Cote.


These things just fall into my lap and I quickly scoop them up! 😂👏
I’ll keep my eyes pealed for more. 😊


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## Baymule

Got 10 sheep loaded up for auction this morning. 6 ewes, 2 have lambs on them. Plus a 3 month old ewe lamb. I’m excited to be making room for better ewes, but sad to see them go. I raised them, named them and they are spoiled. But they just don’t make the cut. The 6 ewe lambs I’m keeping are way much better than the ones that are going.

My son came over yesterday to spend the weekend with us, he helped me load them. This afternoon we’ll wean ram lambs.

However much money I get for these will go towards purchasing a few registered ewes. I expect prices to be just so-so, but I’ll take what I get and be happy.


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## Mini Horses

It's a part of raising them, selling them.  Some days are harder than others.

I have a bottle baby, all grown up ... Due for 2nd kidding next month and getting to be a PIA.   😁  Nice goat but may be finding a new home this year!  Will train to milk this year and decide.  She may want to be REAL good.


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## Baymule

We’re back. Got enough $$ to buy maybe 3 registered ewes. LOL Considering we took a 7 year old and a 5 year old ewe, I’m happy.


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## Baymule

My son and I weaned all but 2 of the lambs, because they are only a month old. We put ram lambs in the side pasture where Paris can watch them. We put the ewe lambs in the front pasture for Sentry and Sheba to watch. I’ll give the ewes a little time to dry up, then put them to pasture, feed them well and..... I have some Giant Pink Banana squash that I stored over the winter that I will chop up for them. LOL Then Ringo can have his ladies back.


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## Mini Horses

Ringo will be happy to help them forget the lambs, I'm sure!

Woohoo...ewe shopping coming up!! What fun.


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## Baymule

Dogs barked ALL NIGHT. They were on super alert, protecting their lambs. Trip jumps the fence into front pasture #1, joining Sheba and Sentry. Paris usually doesn’t bark much, but she was spastic last night, making sure her ram lambs were protected. Carson was left to run the yard, poor dog ought to be exhausted, I could hear him up at the front, running the side pasture to about our bedroom window, then around to the other side of the house, before running back to the front gate.   

Ewes and lambs were still yelling when we went to bed last night. LOL Bedlam and Chaos.


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## Mini Horses

Oh, my!  Lambs are surely starving with no warm milk.  Moms are calling because they need relief and kids are calling.   Dogs don't know what the issue is -- but, something's wrong!!!         I bet it is noisy there.....it'll stop in a few days.  Meanie!


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## Baymule

I’m even meaner than that-gasp! I’m going to wean the bottle babies!!


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## Mike CHS

If our experience with bottle lambs holds true, they were louder than any of the others.


----------



## caprines.n.me

Bottle babies = love/hate/love relationship.  Love them for a minute and always happy when they leave home!


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## Baymule

I trip over the bottle lambs. They both make every step I do, wrapping themselves around my legs. Tiny is superb at chewing my shoe strings and has the plastic ends off. She unties them every chance she gets.
@Mike CHS you are right. They hear my voice and start yelling. They have yelled since being put with the weaned ewe lambs yesterday. They got their bottles today, but they don’t have much more to go.

I put Ringo with the ram lambs today. Even their Daddy couldn’t comfort them, not that he cared.


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## Mike CHS

Ringo didn't show a whole lot of sympathy here for the weaned lambs either.  

We don't keep any more bottle lambs and I don't know if it's typical but Princess's lamb (the one you saw here) is as tame as her dam is without any effort on our part.  When I'm feeding the dogs in the shop, her lamb will ignore the dogs and come right up for some crackers.


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## Julia Mary

Just beautiful!!


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## Baymule

Julia Mary said:


> Just beautiful!!


Thank you!

I weaned the bottle babies 2 days ago. They climbed all over me, looking for bottles. Panda is especially attached to me and baas piteously. We left yesterday morning, he ran down the fenceline when he saw me get out of the truck to open the front gate. Of course I went to the fence and petted him. Same thing when we got back. 

Ringo yells at me to come brush him. He stares at me until I feel his eyes on me LOL. I either brush him or give him a good scratching, plucking off wads of loose wool. If he sees a brush in my hand, he runs to me. Haha. Got him a new bag of animal crackers yesterday. I need to start my "keeper" ewe lambs on those things. Nothing says "I love you" to a sheep like animal crackers! Thanks for that, @Mike CHS !!!


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## Mike CHS

Our sheep love it when I wear a loose jacket because they have figured out that they can get their nose in the pocket far enough to reach the crackers in there.


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## Baymule

Today we took 5 ram lambs and 1 ewe lamb to auction. It was interesting how they paired them up with same color lambs. One of ours was tri colored, he was in the ring with a brown ram lamb. One was black and white, paired up with another black and white lamb. We had a solid black lamb, they ran him through by himself. The ewe lamb was also ran through by herself. A white ram lamb was paired up with a not so great white lamb and I truly believe it brought the price down on mine. Not to brag, but our boys looked better than the rest of them. Maybe they split them up like that to price out the other lambs better. They were all 10 or 11 weeks old. I knew MY lambs when they went through, even the white ewe lamb, and there were a lot of white lambs. 

I’m keeping 2 ram lambs back for now, Star and Snip. They are nice looking boys and are my insurance until I get little registered hooves on the ground. I’m afraid of something happening to my beloved Ringo and losing his genetics. I’m shopping for ewes but it is likely to be awhile before I get lambs.

Star and Snip seemed lonely this evening so I brushed them and gave them lots of attention. They are just like their Daddy, attention hogs. LOL I plan on keeping  them for awhile and selling  them as commercial sires. I may be biased, but I think they would be an improvement on what I see around here.
Star









Snip


----------



## farmerjan

@Baymule when you said they paired them up..... were they sold by the lb?  If so, then what they did was pair them up or put in whatever groups, because of the similarities in weights.  Not saying that was right for you.... but .... here if they are graded to say red O's   which is often a little under optimal weight  and having a little less back fat or finish... they won't even run them in the ring... just tell the weight... same with blue O's... which is slaughter size of around 110 lbs, with a little more finish or fat cover.... red O's  are often choice, blue O's are often Prime or high choice... but at several of the markets they are not run through the ring... However, with so many smaller farms of less than 10-20 ewes, there are many that vary in condition, that the markets will put together animals that look or weigh the same.  I have seen it with cattle... especially feeders, and you will get say 4 good calves and 1 mediocre in the same group.  
You can request that they be sold as singles.... but that can backfire.  If you have them penned as "one seller" , they will sell them as individual animals but all brought in by the same person....  especially if they are not going to kill but to be fed out... to push that they have had "xx"  vaccinations, or are on creep feed or whatever..... 
But in the interest of the yard selling them, they will try to group them so that the sellers get the best price and the buyers don't have to sit through so many singles....   again, as you saw and thought, a slightly better one might get matched with a lesser one.  
And pairing colors is common.... even in feeder cattle... if they grade as feeders, they will match up blacks, and blacks and black white faces sometimes together,  reds, red white face,  straight herefords, straight charolais, and smokies will usually be separated too.  The yard will match up to cater to the buyers  many times.


----------



## Baymule

They sold by the head. That’s what all the auctions do around here. There is a huge sheep and goat auction in Hamilton, a 4 hour drive from here. They sell by the pound. Talked to a buyer today who said if we had 15 lambs, it would be worth the drive. He said it would be worth going just for the experience. Local auctions don’t grade them either. I’ve seen mixed groups go through and sell as a group or singles. That’s why I think they separated my lambs and paired them up with others. There were a few groups of fairly matched sheep that looked real nice.

They offer very little information other than boy or girl. If boer goats come through, the auctioneer calls them “red tops” like it’s something special. Today’s red tops mostly looked like a lot of mixed mutts. There were some nice ones and several big moon spotted boer bucks that went for $500.

It’s all very interesting. In all fairness, they are mutts too. Nice mutts, but they are mutts. LOL Ringo has stamped them with quality but they are still half breeds. People don’t seem to care if the goats and sheep are mutts or pure bred.
The little white ewe sold for $130
Two of the ram lambs sold for $150 each,
Two sold for $140 each
The white one paired with a lesser white lamb sold for $100
Not bad for weaned lambs. I was happy with it and they are off the feed bill. Last year I sold 6-8 month old lambs for $200, taken to slaughter, buyers picked them up and paid for the slaughter. For the difference in time, feed and price, I think I did ok.

BJ was sad when I told him we have no more sheep to sell now and we won’t have any more until next year. LOL He is really enjoying this.


----------



## farmerjan

I think that the prices were fair.... it was after the ideal "before Easter" optimum sale time .... they were what 3 months?  When you figure in the difference in time, and feed compared to your 6-8 month old ones I think you did pretty good.  If they were 3 months, maybe 4 months, they weighed what?   50-60 lbs?  So you are looking at 2.50-3.00 lb.  That is a decent price around here.   Plus like you said, they are off the feed bill. and that many LESS mouths on the grass too. 
I would go check out the other auction one day.  Take a day road trip.... if the one buyer said that if you had 15 it would be worth the trip, then he must have liked the way the lambs looked.  Plus, at a bigger sale like that, if the buyers have contracts to fill, there is more competition for the lambs and prices will be higher.  They will pay more for quality at those kind of sales. 
Hey, going to the stock yard sales is my "social life" .... don't have to have anything to sell, sometimes I just go for the conversation, interaction with other farmers... check out what is there... Stay in the loop because sometimes it is where there are flock dispersals.... Remember when @Devonviolet  was trying to sell Joe's goats, and the sale there helped with some advertisement and all.... I know that you and DH helped with all that too.... but sometimes when something like that happens, there is not a big notice of a dispersal....the sale needs to happen for various reasons like with  goats;  fairly fast and quick.... you might find a bunch of purebreds....
Remember  also.... purebred and papers are nice.... they give you some ability to have some quality animals.... and you will know better of what you should be getting in the quality of the lambs.... BUT .... you cannot eat registration papers.  They are not a guarantee that the off spring will be outstanding.... they will not make you any more money than a GOOD crossbred ewe putting some real good lambs on the ground;  if they are a purebred putting mediocre lambs on the ground.   Unless you are looking to get into some showing and providing "seedstock" for other breeders... and that is a great goal.... I am not saying this to discourage or undermine you wanting to better your flock. 

Example..... it used to be that a registered holstein ... with papers..... that was a good producing cow, would nearly always bring a couple hundred more than a non-registered one...... nowadays, the papers are not worth 20 dollars more except to someone wanting that particular bloodline for show reasons.... With the milk markets the way they are, and holsteins being bred for production for so long, a good producing cow is a good producing cow.....period.

It looks to me that the hair sheep in general are the same.... they are going through the stage where the holsteins were... purebred registered stock is worth more, and in 99% of the cases, a good purebred ram will improve the quality of the lambs.... BUT..... don't by pass good quality ewes even if they don't all have papers.... UPGRADE what you have... and I agree that the goal of some good purebreds is admirable...  But if you have good producing ewes, that give you twins, raise them up, milk good, and really put pounds on the lambs, don't discount them.  And if you can find some others that maybe are someone's "culls"... and I am thinking like @Mike CHS  sheep that look to me in the pictures are all very very good sheep.... even if they are not purebred or registered.... if they are an upgrade of what you have, don't hesitate to buy. 
I am also going to say this in as positive way as I know.  I know that you love your horses, and the ones you have are mostly rescued, and older.... but a horse can eat the equivalent of 5-8 sheep..... you might want to consider not replacing any as they age out...... especially if they are only going to be a "lawn ornament"... I haven't gotten back into any horses for that very reason.... and I do miss my horse....had horses since I was a kid....had my one mare for over 25 years..... but without the time, energy and all to ride like I used to, it is just not practical.... And realize that we have the grazing and the hay and the land for one horse to not be noticeable. 
If my longhorn did not produce a calf, I probably would not still have her..... and again, we have way more land/grazing available to not be "put off" by one "extra cow"...  
My old horse stayed here and died here with me.... we have kept a few cows past their prime and buried them here.. there will be  few more in the future I am sure.... they become a part of the family and I get that... but I also will not take on another horse,  unless I am going to make it a point of having a purpose and to plan to ride, or even drive, one regularly.  I am just thinking that it could be a more lucrative "business" for you with the sheep and it seems like they are working out well for you and you are really getting the ins and outs figured out.   Better sheep, and MORE sheep lambing and being sold at the right timing.... might really help in the future because I think we are going to get into some serious times in the next few years.  Plus, you can always eat the lambs/sheep.   Just like we can always eat the cattle.....
Of course.... if gas and all gets too far out of reason..... riding and driving the horses may be a cheaper alternative too.....  ......HMMMM might want to rethink my not having a horse.....


----------



## Mini Horses

I couldn't agree more, or have stated it better!     Right now I'm looking for a great Boer buck, at a good price!  Been on registries for years....as said, look at goals.  I'm not showing, I know what's good to have, I only want a good producing commercial herd.  I have a registered nubian buck for whom I've never transferred papers.  He breeds and produces well.    My goal is simply a good herd of producers.  Same for meat or dairy.  The glory days of shows and awards are looking at me from a showcase...now, I just want monetary rewards.     In fact, I'll even buy an older buck, knowing the offspring will provide sustainability.

oddly, I've had the same horse transportation thoughts!!!😁   I do like to ride but, really no time for it....and the care some need.   Heck, most egg customers gone, so downsizing my flock.


----------



## Baymule

I have an old senior Tennessee Walker mare with heaves. Haven’t ridden her in years. She earned her retirement. I won’t replace her. Then I’ll have 2 and that’s plenty. I’m not offended by words of wisdom. @farmerjan you are not going to hurt my feelings or make me mad, what you say is true.

I want registered ewes, good ones, to upgrade what I have. It’s not the papers, it’s what they represent. I wouldn’t register all offspring either, only the best. I have a few good commercial ewes, the 7 I am keeping will hopefully turn out well. I cleaned house, culled hard and we took them to auction. We enjoy our sheep, better sheep gain faster so why keep scrubs. Yes they are pets, but they are a business, albeit a very small one. I would like to show a profit. LOL I did last year! Next year, the number of lambs will be less, with 6 ewes gone and young ones just reaching breeding age. The following year should be good.

My meat customers are getting in the rhythm of production. They just never thought about what it takes to put meat on the table. Having to decide a year or more in advance what they want is hard to wrap their heads around. I explain the process, invite them to see the animals and experience the farm. Word of mouth got me another pig customer and half a steer. I had a half of a pig not taken, now it is. A neighbor wants a half a pig, think we’ll split ours. Then next year I can raise pigs for the two new customers. If my customer that wanted a steer, but were worried about buying the whole thing, and their friends that want a half, stay on board for half a steer apiece yearly, I’ll have to put my thinking cap on to keep one ready yearly. Since I don’t have the breeding stock, it’s a scramble to come up with the right steer(s) and pigs at the right time. Not to mention the slaughter dates. Haha, I rambled away from lambs.


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## Mini Horses

Your old mare is like my old minis!  They served me well and will be buried here. 

Sometimes people just cannot grasp what REALLY went into getting that steak!    

Right now, I'm talking to myself about wanting to look at seed porn and not even tilled a row!   Plus all the seeds I have.   I used to think it was all a lifestyle...maybe it's actually an addiction!   Think about that as you butcher the CCX.   Whatcha think?


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## farmerjan

@Mini Horses you might want to re read your post and edit it..... I don't think that we are ready for "seed porn"  

Yeah, the ccx are an addiction  in that I hate to see birds get killed off for no reason.... I want to start being able to take more to the poultry swap to sell....have to do that live.... and I am getting really concerned with the way things are looking in the future.... Need to start canning the chicken instead of freezing... but it is so much easier and cheaper for me to have them done up with my schedules and knees and all.... and the price is right.  I have less than $5 in each of the BIG broiler/roasters I had done up late last year.  Some were 10 lbs dressed.... and I know what they ate for the better part of their lives here....
The guy who does the meat that I had processed into things like hot dogs and all will do chicken if it is deboned... so a possibility in the future to have things like chicken hot dogs .....just a thought.  

More food here than I can eat myself... but then if I get a dog again, once I am here and settled, then I can provide for more of it's food too.  I have fed several chickens to the cats over time too.....


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## Baymule

I am addicted to seed porn. Those glossy full color catalogs show up, not even wrapped in plain brown paper. They shout from the colorful cover about what lies inside. Crack it open and I’m hooked! I don’t have to think about it while slaughtering CCX, I already know my weakness. LOL 

I can old laying hens meat. I can the broth too. I like frozen chicken, parted out, for different recipes.


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## Mini Horses

The problem is you WANT everything in the catalogue even if you don't eat it!   🤪 

It's so hard. 😭  I'm glad I'm not alone...🤗🤫


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## Baymule

It is storming here, started yesterday and will continue all week. We are expecting 4-7” of rain.
I have the little ewe lambs in the side pasture that goes from the backyard to the back of the sheep barn. The little girls bed down at the fence at the back of the barn every night to be close to their moms. Moms do not reciprocate, they stay in their barn. So little girls get rained on. It’s not that they don’t have shelter, they do. It’s what I originally built as a chicken coop, never used it, dragged it to the side pasture as a play house for the granddaughters.

When the ram lambs were in this pasture they used the playhouse as shelter. Not the ewe lambs. Nope. They want to be close to mom and yell their heads off at me because they are wet and unhappy about it.

So I started feeding them in the playhouse. Upon vacuuming up their feed, back to the back of the barn they would run on their little twinkle toes. Be close to mom, scream their heads off at me because they were wet. Rinse, repeat.

So yesterday with a storm on the way, we got things achieved in the garden and went blackberry picking in the fence row down the road from us. Loaded with ripe wild blueberries, the coming rain would beat them off, so we really wanted to pick all we could. It sprinkled off and on, accumulating enough to wet us down pretty good. We kept picking. Finally the bottom fell out and two drowned rats gave up and went home. It was 1:30. I decided to go ahead and feed animals because once I cleaned up, I had serious doubts that I would want to go back out in the rain. So I fed in the pouring rain.

As I walked to feed the little girls, they were yelling like starving wolves, but from the shelter of the playhouse! They didn’t even run to me like they always do. Normally they swarm me , running between my legs, in front and behind me, trying to climb up my back and being little pains in the butt. NO! They weren’t coming out in the rain, but staying inside bellowing like a pen of bulls squaring off over a heifer. FEED ME NOW!

Finally. They finally got it. Took long enough, but they finally took shelter. LOL And this morning? With lightening, thunder and pouring hard rain, where are they? In the playhouse! It makes me smile.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> It is storming here, started yesterday and will continue all week. We are expecting 4-7” of rain.
> I have the little ewe lambs in the side pasture that goes from the backyard to the back of the sheep barn. The little girls bed down at the fence at the back of the barn every night to be close to their moms. Moms do not reciprocate, they stay in their barn. So little girls get rained on. It’s not that they don’t have shelter, they do. It’s what I originally built as a chicken coop, never used it, dragged it to the side pasture as a play house for the granddaughters.
> 
> When the ram lambs were in this pasture they used the playhouse as shelter. Not the ewe lambs. Nope. They want to be close to mom and yell their heads off at me because they are wet and unhappy about it.
> 
> So I started feeding them in the playhouse. Upon vacuuming up their feed, back to the back of the barn they would run on their little twinkle toes. Be close to mom, scream their heads off at me because they were wet. Rinse, repeat.
> 
> So yesterday with a storm on the way, we got things achieved in the garden and went blackberry picking in the fence row down the road from us. Loaded with ripe wild blueberries, the coming rain would beat them off, so we really wanted to pick all we could. It sprinkled off and on, accumulating enough to wet us down pretty good. We kept picking. Finally the bottom fell out and two drowned rats gave up and went home. It was 1:30. I decided to go ahead and feed animals because once I cleaned up, I had serious doubts that I would want to go back out in the rain. So I fed in the pouring rain.
> 
> As I walked to feed the little girls, they were yelling like starving wolves, but from the shelter of the playhouse! They didn’t even run to me like they always do. Normally they swarm me , running between my legs, in front and behind me, trying to climb up my back and being little pains in the butt. NO! They weren’t coming out in the rain, but staying inside bellowing like a pen of bulls squaring off over a heifer. FEED ME NOW!
> 
> Finally. They finally got it. Took long enough, but they finally took shelter. LOL And this morning? With lightening, thunder and pouring hard rain, where are they? In the playhouse! It makes me smile.


Humm, sounds like they took shelter at about the same time as the humans... so... what does that say about you? lol


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## Baymule

I already know I ain’t got no sense! LOL 

I went out in the rain to feed, the little stinkers ran to me for a split second, yelling at me, just to make sure I had feed for them. Haha I gave them a flake of hay too. Spoiled brats.


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## Kusanar

Baymule said:


> I already know I ain’t got no sense! LOL


Thought you would appreciate that comment.


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## Baymule

We have had a lot of rain, 8 1/2” over the last week and a half. It’s misting now. I went out to feed this morning and got rained on. If this keeps up, I’m gonna start quacking! But I did get a picture of the little ewe lambs in the playhouse. They have decided that it’s a nice place to be when it’s raining.


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## farmerjan

They are really growing.... they are hardly "lamb size"....


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## Baymule

I bought 40 ears of corn to make cream corn. Thought maybe I oughta since I haven’t planted sweet corn yet. LOL. I had help shucking it.






Panda and the little girls are grazing the yard today. They have yet to discover the rewards of raiding the bird feeders. When I let the big girls graze the yard, they run from the gate to the bird feeders, so I have to take them and put the feeders on the porch.


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## rachels.haven

Naughty little (long tailed) goats in sweatshirts... Beautiful pictures and beautiful sheep as always.


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## Mini Horses

That's so much better than using a mechanical mower!   

On porch with coffee, listening to the munching would be lovely.      and that's a great way to fully use the corn....rather than toss shucks in the trash!  

Tonight is my local veggie auction...I may go and buy some corn, if any there.  Probably time to see it coming in from NC farms.  At least I'm home tomorrow, so could process some.


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## Baymule

Miranda had twins this morning. The brown head is a boy, the white one is a girl. I think she is the only one that listened to me for September birth. LOL


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## Mike CHS

Pretty girl!


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## Baymule

Thanks!


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## Mini Horses

Lovely lambs but. I LOVE that ewe.  She's great eye candy!!!  Nice bag, too.


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## Hideaway Pines

so adorable, love them, congrats!!


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## Ridgetop

A white ewe!  Are you trying to change over to all white sheep?  Harder to keep track of them!  We are ordering new scrapie tags (have to pay for them now) and are getting larger ones so we can ID sheep easier.  Also have to figure out what we are doing wrong in tag placement that our sheep are losing ear tags.  Maybe up further in the cartilage? Even some of our purchased sheep are losing tags!


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## TwoHands

Baymule said:


> Miranda had twins this morning. The brown head is a boy, the white one is a girl. I think she is the only one that listened to me for September birth. LOL
> 
> View attachment 87585
> 
> View attachment 87586


Hi, I have a few ewes that look just like your Miranda.  Do you know her breeding by chance?  Thanks


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## Baymule

TwoHands said:


> Hi, I have a few ewes that look just like your Miranda.  Do you know her breeding by chance?  Thanks


Miranda is a Katahdin and Dorper mix. She was bred to a white Katahdin ram. I want speckled lambs that look like her!! LOL


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