Longface....Magnificent old girl

[Sheepshape]

Longface (a Beulah Speckle Faced sheep) came in a batch of 10 'old ewes' 4 years ago, bought to 'have one last season' and was aged 6-7. In spite of the fact that she had been in a distant field, one of thousands, and very unused to people, she seemed friendly from the start. She rapidly became very tame (on a daily diet of biscuit treats and strokes).She produced 3 good lambs.

At the end of the season, inspected by local farmer she was marked with a 'slaughter' mark as she was old. "Let's keep her another year" said I as I had grown so fond of the old girl. She produced another 3 good lambs. The scene repeated itself the following year.....and another 3 good lambs.

Last year, and about 10 years of age, with not a lot of teeth in her mouth I hid her when hubby took those marked for slaughter to market. He grumbled and mumbled, but she went back into the field with the breeding ewes. On New Years' Eve last year she was scanned....4 sacs. Oh dear....sounded like it was too much for the old girl. However, with careful attention that she fed well in the latter part of her pregnancy, she waddled her way towards term. One cold evening having waddled up from the field with her flock mates. Having eaten her fill she came and stood by me. "What's wrong old girl?"....I stood stroking her and she stayed put by me. As the others started to make their way back to the field she didn't. So I invited her into the shed and placed her in a lambing pen. I checked her twice before bed. She was lying down and chewing contentedly. I went to bed and rose early to this scene.

We still have the lovely old girl.....now this will be her last year....well as a potential mum anyway.

She has earned her retirement. Today she is in the field with the breeding ewes, always with the first to the fence for treats, sleek, fat and happy.

 

[BrownSheep]

Ah quads..I dream of quads. So far I've had 6 sets of triplets but no quads as of yet. She looks like a good old gal reminds me of my Big Bertha. Give her a scratch and a treat from me!

 

[Bridgemoof]

What a heartwarming story.

 

[Southern by choice]

makin' me cry!

How sweet!

 

[promiseacres]

love this.

 

[RemudaOne]

Awesome ewe! Glad she found you!

 

[Alice Acres]

I love your story!
We had a similar old and dependable ewe. She was a regular triplet mom, but she never had 4!
Good luck with your gang, the lambs look like they are all a good size and should do well.

 

[goodhors]

What a nice old girl!. I would be keeping any ewe lambs, to retain the great
genetics for my flock. A good producer like that should pass fertility and
long life on to her ewe lambs. Her still producing so VERY WELL at an advanced
age is an EXCELLENT quality to have in your flock. Lambs look quite nice too,
appear evenly sized, no huge ones or runts. Those kind of ewes are money
makers for you, long-lived producers of quantity, more than paying their way.

Nice that she is also so friendly and easy to handle. Maybe she can be the
lamb babysitter for weaning, now that she is too old to breed again. Still
useful, as well as being a pet.

 

[ksalvagno]

Awww, too cute!

 

[Alice Acres]

As Goodhors mentioned - there is value in a good and steady ewe in the flock. We have had several over the years that we have kept beyond their reproductive years, just because they have such good characteristics - calm, nurturing, set good examples for the younger and usually flightier stock.