I was a little anxious about settling the sheep back in that we had sold last year to my neighbors-- but it's going well. While Abby and Mallow were away, Mallow had this little ewe lamb-- pretty girl, but she doesn't trust us yet. We did not help matters when we descended on the quarantined girls with hypodermics (annual CDT shots) and icky white Valbazen for worming. PLUS we sat them on their behinds to check for hoof trimming-- and found dozens of burrs matted into their long wool. We cut out quite a few. They hated this, of course, so we limited the trimming to biggish felted mats and burrs on the belly that the ewes would lay on if they weren't cut away.
We hoped they appreciated that. We also saw that Abby's udder looks/feels fine! So the question of her having mastitis in May remains a mystery.
As I said, the ram went to the freezer--his hide is drying in the pole shed. I trimmed and salted it; I plan to send it to Stern's in Milwaukee to make another sheepskin rug if his fleece is useable. I think Stern's can make his wool a "shearling" pelt, trimming his burrs out.
This little girl. . . has no name. A wildflower, like her mother, Mallow? We'll have to think about this.
She is available to go to a new home.
Mallow's going to live with Lori & Norm in New Prague, with her full sister, Little Red Oak Catnip. Catnip is my brown and white spotted ewe who's seen on these blog pages a LOT. Lori has Polypays who are NOT friendly and she decided she needed some sheep who love their shepherds. We love Catnip, too, but trust that she will do well with Lori. And we have so many ewes from Catnip's line, now.
It's raining again in Minnesota. I'm getting quite sick of this-- maybe I DON'T want to retire in Washington, where it rains so much!
I had a load of gravel and sand hauled in yesterday and spread in the old lean-to so the sheep have a dry floor. Good thing-- today it's rained all day long. You know my rusty, trusty shed (see Feb. 16, 2009 blog entry for a photo). The bobcat / excavation guy who did the spreading said that he's usually asked "how much?" to knock down a shed like that. I was not insulted. I hung Christmas lights in and around it after he left, spread straw inside and invited the sheep back in.
6 comments:
What a pretty fleece on that ewe in the photo! I need to have a load of gravel hauled in here too. The mud is really getting to me.
That's a beautiful colored ewe. She reminds me of cinnamon on toast. Can you tell it's time for breakfast?
How about Pussy Willow or French Toast?
Sometimes I name a lamb with the same first letter as the dame, to help me remember lineage. Other times, a name just pops into my head and sticks.
How about Mindy?
She looks like Poppy to me.
P.S. There's a dry side and a wet side to Washington and Oregon both, and the wet side of Oregon is drier than the wet side of WA. Come to Oregon! :-)
Becky, thanks, I think the little ewe's long crimps are pretty, too. Some is just wavy-- and some looks like she laid in something that colored the wool. I don't want to know! She is from Justalitl Sarah's line, who had beautiful fawn wool. Sarah had Amy, Amy had Anders, this one's dad.
I like the names people offered, all of them. I'll ask Emily, the shepherd girl who cares even more than I do.
Michelle, when I was a child, I wrote in a journal that I intended to move to Oregon when I grew up.
I'll have to visit there again!
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