Monday, December 8, 2014

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.


11 comments:

  1. What a great set of pics today! They all looks so beautiful and content.

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  2. Smiling in the sunshine! I'd be interested in what a micron test would say on the 2 rams. Nice difference in the curls!

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  3. What incredible fleece! You must be so looking forward to their lambs!

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  4. Sheep have the cutest faces, complete with smiles! What curly fleece they have. I'm wondering if the human great grandma's curly coat we inherited is from a sheep. I suppose it must be. Hmmm. I love all your sheep photos, but especially the one of the two, with the light coming in just right. Beautiful!

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  5. P.S. It's the ninth photo I was referring to. It belongs framed and on (my) wall. LOL Gorgeous! I became a huge sheep lover while traveling through the Cotswolds and Yorkshire. Anyway, wanted to stop back and let you know I'm your newest GFC follower. :-)

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  6. Oh my-that Cotswold fleece looks so lovely! I just purchased a small flock of Gotlands and I am hoping for the same nice curls only in gray! :)

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  7. Surely this is a site well worth seeing.

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  8. Finally I've found a sheep blog that I want to follow. Your farm seems amazing and the barn looks so cozy!
    Good luck with the sheep! / Inspired sheep farmer from sweden.

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