Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

We separated the two ram lambs from the OOPS breeding and moved them over with Pete and the dogs. They are a couple of days shy of two months old but they are both over 60 pounds and their mommas were ready for it since they just went off and started grazing and never looked back. One of the rams is registerable depending on how he grows out.

 

[farmerjan]

We separated the two ram lambs from the OOPS breeding and moved them over with Pete and the dogs. They are a couple of days shy of two months old but they are both over 60 pounds and their mommas were ready for it since they just went off and started grazing and never looked back. One of the rams is registerable depending on how he grows out.

The growth you get on the lambs is amazing. For the traditional wool breed lambs here, what the general consensus is 5 months preg, 5 months to "blue O", or the old classification of selling for market/slaughter... That is in the 105-120 lb range. Now they grade them a little different, and many lambs are bought and killed at lighter weights for the ethnic buyers. But it still requires feeding for 1-2 months... and you are gaining that weight on strictly grass until weaning and then mostly grass? Do you supplement them much after weaning? I think I would like to have a few here for grazing amongst the "orchard trees" as part of a rotational thing.... I know they will work on the bark of trees, but for supervised controlled short spells they would be more likely to eat the grass until they get "bored" and it would sure cut down any mowing... also winter time clean up grazing. Something to ponder since there is not much land here... But any calves will work on the branches more... breaking them too.

 

[Mike CHS]

These two ram lambs will get a very small amount of feed but that is only because they haven't been handled much so it gets them coming to me. Fast growth has been one of our main criteria for keepers.

For some reason our sheep have never bothered any of the trees in our fields.

 

[farmerjan]

Good to know about the sheep not bothering the trees. My DS's sheep don't bother his much either... the neighbors goats just destroy their trees though.... but they are a browse animal more. The horses will strip bark also if they are bored and hungry too... but I have seen sheep bother trees some... maybe it is more wooled sheep that do it....HMM....

 

[Mini Horses]

My goats will strip a tree before eating grass if its in the field.....not old trees, those they just go for leaves and young branch. Fruit trees are a favorite!

 

[Mike CHS]

Lance REALLY doesn't like having to tolerate a lamb and can't figure out how he went from herding sheep to having to let one lay down by him. He tolerates the lamb only because he is well trained and leaves him alone because I told him to.

Sassy could care less and likes having the lamb around.

 

[Baymule]

Lance has to share his bed with that interloper!!!

 

[Mike CHS]

We have had a couple of busy days. The Perilla Mint that I sprayed was taking it's time dying and even though the stems had turned black, the plants were still trying to go to seed. Soooo, I spent the better part of three days literally roaming the paddocks in the Ranger and manually pulling the plants. I'll start spraying early in the spring since they seem to die off fast shortly after they sprout. Teresa got the summer garden taken out and the fall garden planted. Of course, it's supposed to get back in the mid to high 90's this next week so we pulled out the shade cloth.

Teresa got the last of the mint in the paddock that the new ram will be in first since we pick him up tomorrow. He and the ewe coming with him will be kept in a stall for a short time depending on how he acclimates. He was pretty tame when he was a yearling but he hasn't had a lot of human contact since then. We have hay plus I'll cut grass for him. I went down to the feed store and got some feed this afternoon. (Side note, that feed was $8 a 50 pound bag six months ago and it was $11 today) I'll see what I can do to get him used to me for a couple of days to at least see me as his food source anyway and see how we go from there.

 

[Baymule]

WEEDS!!!!! At least the weeds I have here are not toxic. Pretty yellow flowers of bitterweed are making a carpet. Goat weed too.

Congratulations on picking up the new ram. He will get things figured out and see you as the sheep version of Santa Claus-you come bearing gifts! Hay, fresh grass, feed, fresh water, treats…….. yup, he’s a smart ram and will warm up to you real quick!

 

[Bruce]

I'll see what I can do to get him used to me for a couple of days to at least see me as his food source anyway and see how we go from there.

Animal crackers!