Ringo’s Lambs! Baymule’s 5th Lambing

[misfitmorgan]

We bought a Dorper ram, in summer of 2016, from the same lady we bought our first 4 ewes from. I was very excited over him.

This is the picture she sent me of him.

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This is him in our trailer, bringing him home.

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NOW I see the high shoulder, the swayback dip and the hump back. Hard to see under the woolly layer, but it was there. I didn’t see it, in my ignorance I trusted the lady to choose a good ram.

In all fairness I chose mixed breed ewes to start from, I called them my learning Sheep and have I ever learned! I sure didn’t want to kill an expensive sheep out of stupidity and I have lost some along the way. My initial object was to have lambs for slaughter. As I have evolved and learned, I discovered I wanted a better flock of sheep. At first I wanted Dorpers, I slowly decided I wanted Katahdins for a variety of reasons. The Dorper ram I had was mean, it sealed his doom and he took a one way ride to freezer camp. I kept his son solely for the purpose of another lambing, then he too went to freezer camp. I had my eye on the ram of my dreams.

The moment @Mike CHS said he was going to change rams, I claimed Ringo. Mike and Teresa were satisfied that he would have a good home with us and the rest is history.

Now the moment of truth. What a difference! Look at the top line, straight, long and overall a beautiful example of what quality looks like.
Ringo is a beautiful ram with a personality to match.


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So now my attention turns to my ewes. I have some good, some not so good and a couple of just plain lousy ewes. The culling process will be hard, these are my pets, but if I ever want a good commercial flock, I have to keep my eye on the prize. As I take away from the flock, I want to add a few quality registered ewes. I have a much better idea of what I want and what to look for, enriched by the lumps and bumps along the way.

In fairness to the breeder I would only mention that perhaps she wasnt concerned with body type and went with weight/growth factors when deciding he was a good ram. We have sacrificed confirmation for goals a time or two. I would say write a list of your goals then pick a few to stick with until you get them locked into your herds genes. A type A body doesnt mean all offspring will be type A...vice versa for type B.

Our goal is size in height and weight so if i have a ewe who is small in the brisket but otherwise is 2 inches taller then my other ewes and weighs 15-20lbs more I am for sure going to bred her and just hope that my very nice confirmation ram will help even things out. As you go thru generations things will even out and your herd will eventually be closer to your goal.

If we were all rich we would start with our dream animals....us poor folks have to work up though and there is no shame in it. Working up make most of the great animals and breds we have now.

 

[Baymule]

The ram did have a nice butt. And he taught me that I didn't want Dorpers.

I will upgrade my flock, it won't happen overnight. The journey along the way will be interesting, educational, but most of all, it will be fun. When we are watching lambs being born, getting up and nursing, it doesn't matter in that moment whether or not they are show stoppers or total rejects. In that moment, we are in awe of the beautiful creatures they are.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Beautiful lambs! Makes me want a pair of those colorful babies!

 

[Baymule]

Beautiful lambs! Makes me want a pair of those colorful babies!

Thanks!

 

[Mike CHS]

Thanks!

I think we are the hardest judges of our sheep and our original mutts are a good example of how the mutts are the hardiest. Your lamb crop is super and Ringo is only half of the reason. Your ewes are the other half.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Beautiful lambs! I love lambs!

 

[luvmypets]

Beautiful lambs this year Bay, and you got some flashy girls to top it off. Been several years since I have had lambs around and I miss it. Now I’m just overrun with piglets. Not that I dont love it but I miss the simplicity of the little baas.

 

[Baymule]

I think we are the hardest judges of our sheep and our original mutts are a good example of how the mutts are the hardiest. Your lamb crop is super and Ringo is only half of the reason. Your ewes are the other half.

Mike that is such a nice thing to say. You are right, l am hard on judgment of my stock, but only because I have learned so much over the last 4 years. My sheep are also pets which makes it hard to make the cull cuts, but it must be done to get better quality in my flock. My mixed breed ewes have taught me so much and for that I am grateful to them.

What is the diameter of the holes in your creep feeder? I’m thinking of making one, I can cut holes in plywood and come up with something. Oh, what is the depth from the hole to the floor where you put the Feed and over all height? I sure would appreciate it!

This makes it all worthwhile. Recognize the attention hog? LOL
He’s sneaking in to get his share of love.

 

[Mike CHS]

He never misses a chance to get hands on him.

I'll take some measurements on the creep feeder when I'm down at the shop this morning.

 

[Mike CHS]

Last year we made a rectangular box attached to the stall with roughly the same measurements as our round metal feeder. The creep feeder is 19" in diameter and the hole openings are 6" across with the bottom 5" from the bottom and 10" to the top of the openings from the bottom.