Sunny, With a Chance of Naps

After yesterday's ice, rain and overall dreariness a full day of sunshine felt like an early Christmas present!  It was still cold, never getting above 25 degrees but if you're a sheep wearing wool it doesn't matter a bit. 

The big rams have settled down quickly and we released them into a larger pen since they didn't seem to be in danger of damaging each other.... at least, no more than usual.  After all, they ARE rams and will butt heads just for the fun of it.  Except for some token swearing and shoving (them, not us) at chore time they are pretty mellow.  Cotswolds Ike and Ian are using the old wall-pillow.

Isadore and young Nigel are still snacking.

Nigel carries a color gene and has a heavy but silky handling fleece that I really like.  The curls are large but well defined and not coarse feeling.   He's registered in the more recent Cotswold Breeders Association which recognizes purebred colored Cotswolds.   I'm looking forward to some pretty colored lambs from him in the spring.

 

 

He ripped out his flock tag last fall and I will replace it next time we're catching everyone to do some task or other.  There is no danger of mistaking him for anyone else as the other rams are all older and/or tagged.

 



"That's right - I'm ME!"

 

Our other yearling Cotswold is Neville.  He's in the original Cotswold registry (American Cotswold Record Association) which doesn't allow any color so he will only ever produce white lambs.

 



 

His fleece is quite different from Nigel's in that the curls are very small and tight - 'pencil curls' or Shirley Temple curls as I call them.  His fleece is also lustrous and on the fine end of breed standard.  I plan to have samples from these two guys' fleeces micron tested this spring just to see where they stand.

 

Curls over his shoulders.....

 



Closer up from the side...

The sun comes in the big door of the ewes' barn for most of the afternoon.  It's a grand place to sit and rest if you're a sheep.

The bred ewes are still in a separate area so they can get a small grain ration and also not have to put up with the frisky unbred animals pushing and shoving at feeding time.

"Why, thank you.  I am far too dignified for such things - unless pushing will get me somewhere."

 

"I"m not pushy, I"m just an innocent liddle lambie.  Mostly."

 

Peanut was really liking the sunshine....

 



 

And some polite company......

 



"Hi!  I'm just so glad to be here!  This place is great! Peanut's my friend! I'm just so happy!"

 

...and some NOT so polite company.

 



"Hey."

 

"Hey! I'm trying to get some sun here!"

 

"Sheesh.  OK, thank you."

 

"That's better....rrrrr....zzzzzz."

 

Wake me up when it's spring.