Shearing - Round One

After scrubbing our first scheduled shearing because of a winter storm (winter storm 'Stella' which I have pictures of....in the phone...) we did get the first group of forty-one shorn yesterday.  We went through the flock and used the oh-so-scientific method of choosing those who were oozing out from under their coats the most.

"What do you mean our butts are sticking out?  That's an awful thing to say."

We had penned those sheep the night before and gave them a very light feeding of hay so that full bellies wouldn't be more of an obstacle than necessary.  We moved ten or so at a time into the shearing area.  The sun came out periodically and it was much nicer than some shearing days have been.

Mickey, waiting his turn.

Snubby, looking a whole lot smaller with all that wool off.

The sheep waiting their turns watched with varying degrees of concern.  Most eyes and ears were on us.

The fleeces this year seem much bigger and even prettier than usual.  We did have early hot dry weather last June and managed to put up better hay than in the past few years.  Coupled with the lack of weeks of deep cold I think the sheep put a lot more energy into wool production over the winter.  The thirty gallon trash bags I put each fleece in were very inadequate in several instances.

Mickey's sister, Minnie.  That's a lot of sheep to reach around.

Salsa

One of the Cotswolds - maybe Oleander.  We invested in a lot more sheep coats and put jackets on everyone, including all the Cotswolds, when we started feeding hay last fall.  So far, so good.  The ones we've shorn so far had no cotting although the curls initially looked kind of flat.  I think they'll perk up after being flopped out onto the skirting table and moved around.  Regardless, the wool is spotless so that's a huge plus.

 Who's that faded moorit?

It's Carmel, whose fleece was dark last year like her face.

She's faded in the span of a year to a warm sand color.

Great crimp and very long for the grade - close to five inches.  I think I've found one of our entries for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival's fleece show and sale.

That's five weeks from now - yikes!

International Hug a Sheep Day!............Was Yesterday

And I knew it was and hugged a lot of sheep but didn't get the post up until now.  Maybe we can think of it like the Twelve Days of Christmas and make it last.  After all, every day is a good day to hug some sheep!

Salsa got a hug.......

So Gem and Snubby had to get one too.

Two hugs at once.

And Peanut gets her own hug.

And Brick and the other boys get hugs too.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hug-a-sheep-day/https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/hug-a-sheep-day/So if you didn't get to hug sheep yesterday you still have time - like sending a thank you card, it's never too late!

Motivation

Sheep have gotten an undeserved reputation for being stupid.  They are NOT stupid.  They do make very bad snap decisions sometimes, but given normal circumstances they learn quickly - very quickly if there's food involved.  Animals in general like routine and when something yummy is involved they learn what to do in one go and you can then set your watch by their behavior.

When the flock was in the barn eating hay last month because of the drought we started giving a small grain ration to make up for the mediocre hay quality.  Once we started turning them out we decided to keep giving a bit of grain in the evening to encourage them to queue up at the gate and come in smartly rather than wandering around the pasture they pass through to get back in.  It's really just a dusting in the feeders but sheep don't worry about how much is there - there is NONE, or there is SOME.  That's all the motivation they need.

They know when they'll be let in and come back from the lowest pasture to hang around and be handy.

Once a bottle lamb, always a bottle lamb.  "My" kids hear our voices and wonder why they can't just come in this little back door.  It would be so much faster.

 Snubby

Stewart Little

Sheep that were never bottle babies consider our appearance at the back door with more suspicion.  This colored Cotswold is particularly uncertain about our motives.

"She's staring at us.  Why is she staring at us??  This can't be good!"

But when it's time to come in for grain hesitancy goes out the window!  (I have no idea what those loud buzzing noises are on the video - they didn't occur in real life - must be the mothership trying to contact me again.)

That's Nibbles and Kandy bringing up the rear.  Somebody has to be last.  They are both old enough that they do. not. run.  But don't worry, there was plenty of space at the feeders so they surely got a mouthful or two.
I have to admit, I show the same enthusiasm when eating at a really good buffet.  ;-)

Weird Weather

We are having abnormally warm weather and while it's not normal and may show its downside later on, for now I'm just going to enjoy it.

The warmth also brought out insects - this beetle is really this shiny, even more than the picture captures,  hence the name 'Metallic Wood Boring Beetle'.  I love it when things are named sensibly.

Honey bees appeared in droves when Andy started up the sawmill and cut some blanks for grade stakes. We don't know where they came from.  The bees in our tree aren't stirring yet.  Apparently honey bees will take tree sap before pollen is available and these bees were putting sawdust in the pollen baskets on their legs.  There were hundreds on the actual sawdust pile behind the mill.

The sheep are too warm but shearing is delayed (a death in the shearer's family put him far behind) and won't commence for another week.  Things always happen as they are supposed to - if we had bred the flock we'd be freaking out about the ewes getting dangerously heavy to shear but the flock isn't bred and so the delay isn't critical.

The ewes are in full fleece and so far we're keeping most of them pretty darn clean.

There are a few that seem to attract hay chaff but the bulk are either coated or don't mind me fiddling around picking junk off them occasionally.  Of course, when it's hot and they melt it's going to cause some VM contamination.  :-/

We've had the fans on in the barn and they really enjoy standing in the air flow.  They kind of orient like seagulls on a beach facing into the wind but there's always one that likes to get the air up her skirt..

It's a pretty hefty fan and it ruffles the long locks on the Cotswolds.  Of course Fortune has to come see what I'm doing.


When not eating or standing in the fan the ewes sit in companionable groups, sharing gossip.

When we separated the ewes into smaller groups for better managment Flopsy and Snubby landed together.  Having been bottle babies together they are fast friends.

Flopsy's ears are still mounted wrong.

and Snubby would have qualified for braces if she was a two legged kid.

But their purpose is fiber and friendship (and comic relief some days) so it's OK.
Peanut is doing well and is still cute as a button.

"Being short is the pits!!"
Little old Ruby is in with the youngest ewes and looks like she wishes she wasn't at the kids' table.  No one roughs her up but I think she's tired of being the hall monitor.

"Pleeeeease, won't you put me in with the adults? I want to have a conversation with someone my own age!"
Pretty soon!  I think I saw a tinge of green on the south-facing ground behind the barn.

Sheep Shots

I needed to get some photos of Cotswolds for someone putting together a breed book so I stalked the flock today while they were pasturing and at rest under the trees.  I've been skimpy on sheep pictures lately so this ought to end the drought.  ;-)

 Peanut!

 Bunny! 

 Snubby in front, a colored Cotswold lamb and Daisy behind.

Bye-bye!

Bye, sheepies!  Have a good day!