SheepGirl's Journal - Photos of the sheep 4/25

[SheepGirl]

We got the fence up for the sheep this past weekend.

I'm taking Billy & Paulie to auction today. The only thing I will miss about Billy is that he comes when he's called and I can lead him anywhere with a bucket of grain (I was able to lead him halter-less from my neighbor's barn to my house--about 1/4 mile--with just a bucket of grain). But I can do without the attitude so he's going. Paulie is cute, but he's too submissive to be a companion for a ram--he even lets himself get beat up by the ewes. And I can't keep him as a pet because he won't even let me pet him. The only thing I can do with him is hand feed him. And the shearer also complains about him being too wrinkly Luckily she's never cut him or nicked him on his wrinkles, but he does take longer to shear. I gonna miss not having any natural colored sheep It will be so different! But it's nice because I will have money to spend on a new ram.

So me and my cousin just finished building an extension onto our dog cage...we nailed 2x4s and plywood onto it to make it 6' long rather than 4' so that way they can both fit in there...Billy's belly is a bit too wide to fit Paulie in next to him I will have to get pictures because it looks soo redneck haha (matches our rusty truck lol). We just need duck tape and we need to spray paint it camo

 

[SheepGirl]

Oh and the ewes are moving out to their new pasture tomorrow. And my mom told me to get a goat while I'm at auction to eat up all that brush...don't know if she was serious or not though

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Did you take Billy and Paulie today? Did you stay to see what they went for?

 

[SheepGirl]

I haven't taken them yet. They have to be there by 5:30 and my mom wants to come with me, but she has a conference call until 4 so we will leave around then. Sheep auction doesn't start until 9ish though. So I will be there the entire time until they get auctioned off. But good thing is the auction has free hamburgers and hot dogs so I get dinner there lol

 

[Bridgemoof]

Good luck at the auction Sheepgirl! I hope the market brings a lot today for you.

 

[SheepGirl]

Well it was really easy to catch Paulie--MUCH easier than what I thought it would be. That saved me a whole lot of time so I got them there earlier. But we put them on our porch and we backed the truck up and loaded them that way. My poor ewe, Ciqala, was pacing along the fence line BAAing and panting and freaking out that I took Paulie away. I felt kinda bad, but I put out hay for them and she got over herself I just got home and she's still baaing a little, but I'm pretty sure she will be too excited about the grass tomorrow to worry about him.

Okay, so I thought Billy weighed 175 and Paulie 150, so I was expecting to sell 325# of sheep. I also wanted at least $60/cwt for them. Got them there and they were auctioned early, after a load of hair sheep ram lambs, blackfaced lambs, some fine x long wool ram lambs, and a couple tunis lambs.

Billy ended up weighing in at 184 and I got $62.50 for him and Paulie weighed in at exactly 140 and I got $77.50 for him. So I ended up selling 1 lb less sheep than what I thought I brought but I sold 'em for $28.50 more than I wanted So overall I'm very happy and I got $207.61 on my check after commission, head charge, insurance, and lamb refund (which is basically the lamb checkoff fee).

Calves were first, then a bunch of goats, and then a bunch of lambs. Billy sold first, and then there were about 5-10 sheep and goats before Paulie. But after they went through the ring, they were sorted into their pens (I guess based on buyers) and Billy & Paulie were in the same pen, and there was a 180 lb blackface lamb in there with them, a HUGE nubian buck, and I think a smaller lamb.

But there was a llama there that sold for $20 And there was a HUGE angus bull there too...he was soo much taller than any of the guys working in the chutes. My mom ended up not coming with me (rather my grandparents came along) and I got home and my mom was like "where's my goat?" and I was just like...uhmm you were serious? So we may go back next week and bring home a goat.

Edited my math 'cause I suck at it.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

You gotta get 2 goats........ Then one will be pregnant because she will INSIST on getting that GORGEOUS doe!

Soon you'll have 2 herds- One goat one sheep

Glad you got an extra $10 !

 

[SheepGirl]

You gotta get 2 goats........ Then one will be pregnant because she will INSIST on getting that GORGEOUS doe!

Soon you'll have 2 herds- One goat one sheep

Glad you got an extra $10 !

Actually, IDK where I got that $10 from...don't know what kinda math I was doin' lol. I really got $88.50 more than I wanted

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

Very cool. Sheep sell much higher here it sounds like. Goats don't go very high though. About the same as sheep. Cattle are huge here and fetch good prices. I've never seen a llama here. lol Pigs, sheep, goats, cattle are the only ones I've seen here. I know they sell horses, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, mules and some others.

Glad you got even more than you hoped. I hope you find a solid, nice ram soon.

 

[BrownSheep]

Congrats! I m not allowed to go to auctions since i tend to stick my hands in the air...and wave them like ive got no care. Sheep go for higher prices here as well, but there has been a huge dip in the market this past week accourding to the industry guys ive talked to. They arent selling and olacing all their lambs on feed