Last Call

The flock is on the last pasture rotation for the year.  The south pasture is the first one they go to in the spring and the last one they finish in the fall.  Other years, when we were breeding the majority of the flock, they would already be penned into groups and off pasture for the year.  Not breeding does extend the grazing season through mid November and now the signal to really end it will be the first day of shotgun deer season.  The days are getting shorter, leaves are mostly off the trees, starlings are travelling in a big flock and the weather is gray and wet.

The sheep queue up at the gate around evening chore time, ready to come in, find their spots and settle down for the night.

Both Stewart and then Daisy fixed me with a look - I think they were hoping for the cookie signal:  my hand going into my front pants' pocket.

The sheep don't mind the deteriorating conditions a bit and are eating as though they know some morning soon they won't be going out.

Over the weekend we had a long rain event and so they received a good rinsing which I was happy about.  We'll be putting their coats on fairly soon and I was hoping the barn grime would be shed in a rain before that happens.

I read a good axiom last week that rings true - "Well summered is half wintered."  One certainly doesn't want to rely on stored fat to get your stock through the winter but it does help going into harsh weather to have some extra upholstery working for you.

I think Snickers has the concept nailed down.  Lordy.

Knock wood, everyone looks pretty good with just a few old girls looking like candidates for the geriatric pen and special feed this year.

 

I like this ewe's Cotswold 'presence'.

The wind was blowing hard all day and the fleece on the Cotswold ewe in the foreground is long enough now to ruffle in the gale.

The rain really freshened up their locks.

Angelica says,

"Curls?  Meh.  I haz attitude!"

And a pretty, dark fleece.  Way to go!

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.  ;-)

Go Hug Some Sheep

Today is (Inter)National Hug a Sheep Day!

Whether they are young....

Stewart Little, enjoying a cheek massage

 ...or realllly old....

Alexandria and me

....all good sheep deserve a hug (if they want one).  Get out there and show some love to our ovine friends who provide loads of wool, lots of lambs and a steady supply of fun.  (And if you aren't near any sheep, you can hug your wool yarn or wool sweaters or wool socks because they came from some sheep somewhere!)

So, happy Hug A Sheep Day!  <<hug>>

September in Pictures

And maybe a few words of explanation here and there.  The fact that I at least TOOK pictures throughout the month reaffirms that I intended to be blogging along, it just didn't happen.  :-/

The fall flowers bloomed, such as our purple coneflower.

Our vigorous honeybees swarmed for a third time - usually a bad move as the swarm can't hope to make enough honey to sustain themselves through the winter.  Luckily they went into a bush two feet off the ground and a beekeeper came and collected them so they'll be cared for and have a better chance of surviving.

Not sure what he's going to be, but this pretty caterpillar was hurrying over the hot concrete on our side porch one afternoon.

The sheep enjoyed about three weeks in the south pasture which had regrown nicely.  There were many days in the nineties and the flock would graze until mid morning and then come into the bunk and hang out under the big fans.

One day Peanut wasn't feeling well and was slow to go out with everyone else.  The heat likely gave her a touch of pneumonia.

Some of the oldest ewes kept calling to her to come along which was sweet and kind of remarkable since she's a bottle lamb with no real "family ties" but she must be everyone's friend.  A few days of antibiotics helped a lot and she's fine now.

We had enough dry weather that we could get our second cutting of hay.  Woot!  Now we have enough for winter.  Then we got some good rains which made these butterflies happy...

...and pushing along an awesome crop of apples off our old trees.  This is a Pound Sweet.  I've got applesauce in my future.

Stewart Little did some growing!

And got shorn along with all the other lambs.

Alexi....silly kitty. Sigh.

I had an order for six half fleeces going to Israel.  That's a first for me.  I managed to get them all in this box. (Cat not included).

I did a fair bit of dyeing for the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival.

Then it was the festival weekend and our spot (in a brand new building!) went from this.....

....to this.  I think it looked pretty good and nobody knows what we didn't get finished to put on the shelves except us.  ;-)

And now the month is almost over.  The woods are changing fast.

And tonight is both a super moon AND a lunar eclipse.  And we don't have clouds!  Whee!

The next big jobs will be cleaning out the barn before the sheep come off pasture (still several weeks away, I hope!) and of course firewood.  Oh, and picking corn.  And still skirting and dyeing wool. Yardwork, yeah. Someday I have to do dishes.........  well, a whole shiny new month is coming up and I have high hopes!