Baymule’s Journal

[farmerjan]

I know you are building the flock... and love the colors... Just make sure you keep the best regardless of the color. If they are white and have some color genetics behind them, and are better than a colored one... keep the white over the color... even if the colored up one is "oooohhhh isn't she sooooo cute...."

 

[Bruce]

How do people tag Lamanchas? No place for an ear tag.

 

[rachels.haven]

How do people tag Lamanchas? No place for an ear tag.

You tattoo the tail and microchip and register as pedigree or NOA so the below doesn't effect them.
Our state allows a collar to be zip tied closed with a scrapies tag attached to it for grades. Some states require you to put a scrapies tag through their tail. It's prone to ripping out, infection, and every time they wag their tails, which is constantly...

No grade lamanchas. Register everything so they don't wind up with nasty, painful tail messes.

 

[Baymule]

I know you are building the flock... and love the colors... Just make sure you keep the best regardless of the color. If they are white and have some color genetics behind them, and are better than a colored one... keep the white over the color... even if the colored up one is "oooohhhh isn't she sooooo cute...."

At this point, I’m keeping pretty much every ewe. There is a list of criteria that will make a commercial ewe, having lambs for auction and another list for registered breeding stock.
Conformation, correctness, hair coat, good feet, teeth, no over/under bite, etc. Really it’s the same as for commercial ewes too. I want them to be “right”.

As I get more second and third generation towards fully registered on the breed up program, I’ll be selling older ewes, as their daughters and granddaughters will be better that they are. Basically I’ll be building up a group and choosing the best, color or no color.

All that said, color sells. Ooooohhhhhh she’s soooooooo cute! Makes me smile.
I want super nice sheep and all the color I can get.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes...color sells even poor quality. Especially those who just want pet, etc. Cute factor all the way!!!. So there's a good reason for selling a few that way, instead of meat stock. It's profit.

Sometimes you get quality AND color

 

[Ridgetop]

You have a lot of white sheep...I have a lot of white dairy goats! From afar they all look alike.

Not as cute, but so much easier to point out to grandchildren that want to know where "their " sheep is.

Grandchild: "Where is Moonbeam Fairy?"
Me, pointing at flock of white sheep: "Right over there, honey."
Child: "Oh yeah I see her."

 

[Baymule]

Sometimes you get quality AND color

I want both AND parasite resistance.

 

[Baymule]

Heat advisory of heat index of 110 to 115 degrees……. For days. Rain in Lufkin, 20 miles away, this morning, but it’s moving over to Louisiana. Dry here. Weather app shows chance of rain for next 10 days, but so far, it ain’t happening here. Hot and dry. Going to graze the ewe crew in the yard again today. It’s so hot and humid that I’m a puddle of sweat, water dripping off me, just standing in the shade doing nothing. I took 2 showers yesterday, I met a lady who bought chicken from me, took a shower before I left. Came home, put on farm clothes and was soaking wet when I came in at 7:30. Took another shower. Animals are miserable, I’m miserable.

 

[canesisters]

Heat advisory of heat index of 110 to 115 degrees……. For days. Rain in Lufkin, 20 miles away, this morning, but it’s moving over to Louisiana. Dry here. Weather app shows chance of rain for next 10 days, but so far, it ain’t happening here. Hot and dry. Going to graze the ewe crew in the yard again today. It’s so hot and humid that I’m a puddle of sweat, water dripping off me, just standing in the shade doing nothing. I took 2 showers yesterday, I met a lady who bought chicken from me, took a shower before I left. Came home, put on farm clothes and was soaking wet when I came in at 7:30. Took another shower. Animals are miserable, I’m miserable.

YIKES!!!
Yesterday was a 2-shower day for me too... but DANG that is HOT!!!!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

Could use rain here. They say Mon thru Wed best possible. I see the fronts in reports, just don't know if they'll keep moving with water included. Hope so. I'll plan to work those days.

Have a couple Boer does bagging and expect them to kid by end of month. My favorite two for type, so hoping little duplicate twin doelings, from each

Need to get outside, get farm stuff going. Cool right now.