#137 Marni, #132 Xbred ewe & lambs

 Marni delivered these twin ewes this morning.  She was bred to Gordon,

he is one of our new rams who has a cape flecket pattern.

I bred him to one of my white ewes.  This morning when I put them 

in a jug they were still wet and could tell that the white lamb had 

some interesting coloring but I really didn't have time to admire her...

as I only have so much time in the morning to feed everyone and 

get off to work (day job).  So this evening I was able to inspect her a little more.

 I think she is very interesting.  Earlier this morning I just thought "white".

But now that she is all dried off she has a red cast to her birth coat 

which I believe is the tan gene that is common with some white sheep,

as her mother has on her legs.  But this little girls legs are darker.

Kind of like a katmoget but not really and her face hair is light 

in color, but appears darker further down the hair shaft.

Very interest....as least I think so!

The other lamb is solid black with some white spotting on her face.

(i can always use another good black!)

 This Dam is one of two of the crossbred ewes that I have.  She is 

3/4 shetland and 1/4 cormo, although she looks more cormo than shetland.

I bred her to my border cheviot ram.  This is her first delivery and

I was really hoping for a ram out of her BUT we got a ewe lamb.

Very nice ewe lamb and she really favors the cormo more than the

border cheviot or shetland.  This lamb will be available to a new home

once she has been weaned....sometime in June.

 Sunday evening I released all of the ewes and lambs that I had penned.

It was time, most of the lambs are old enough to start eating their own feed.

So I set up the creep feed gate where they had been penned, put in

some medicated lambs pellet and a little cracked corn and they are 

all over it.

They are happy, bouncing around and familiar with the whole 

barn. 

#103 Olympia

Olympia delivered her first lambs last night.  I went out to check

on everyone before I went to bed (early...9pm).

She had delivered this little guy and I had moved her into a pen

so she could deliver the next lamb that was emerging.

She progress quickly once in the pen and I assisted with the 

second lamb, but the little ewe lamb was life less upon being born.

I worked on her to clear her airway and gave her a brisk rubbing

but there was no life or breath in her little body .

Olympia was persistent in caring for her and talking to her

but she was already gone.

Had I not gone out I would have wondered what had happened,

although I was there I still don't know what happened, but I do 

know that nothing could have been done.  It was just one of those 

things that we have to deal with and move on.

Even after a while when Olympia wasn't getting a response from 

the deceased lamb she put her attention back onto the 

active lamb that was talking to her.

It is amazing how animals just know and move on.

Here is a short clip of the lambs born a few days ago

and how they think they are the big stuff because they

figured out how to get out of their pen.

Right now I call them, Mr. Fancy Pants &

Li'l Miss Big Britches!

Another short video of the oldest lambs.

I've rearranged the gates and set up a creep feed gate

so they can get used to going in and out of it and 

will eventually find their lamb pellets in the pan.

We've had a little down time while lambing,

hopefully we will have more this weekend.

#118 Luna

 I knew Luna was getting close to delivering Friday evening by the way she was acting,

standing off in a corner with head low.

I was concerned that I would be home to be sure everything went ok because

Today we went to the Black Swamp Fiber Fest.  Taking almost 14lbs. of 

very fine white shetland wool to be made into combed top.

They (Zeilinger's) believes they will have it  done in time to bring it to 

the Great Lakes Fiber Show the end of May. ....can't wait!

So anyway, as soon as I arrived home we unloaded the truck of all

the fine wool top that was sent to Zwool in the fall, then immediately 

went out to the barn to check on everybody and Luna was being a 

great Mom to these babies.  Her first time having lambs - twins!

 She was also bred to ram, Gwynevar Du Roy and the above pic.

shows a nicely marked ram lambs that looks like he has potential for a 

fine fleece.  He does have horns buds so we'll see what develops.

He has spots..we'll see if the stay and is a brown base color.

And....this little moorit, krunet ewe lamb.  I can tell that her body 

color will fade away, we will have to wait and see what color she 

will end up being, musket, fawn or mioget.

The rest of the girls are just hanging out, no one looks like they will 

deliver this evening, but things change fast and you just never know.

# T1608 Tessa

 Tessa a first time Mom delivered all by herself this adorable 

little ewe lamb.  I was really hoping for spots since mom

is so wonderfully marked.  But....I'm ok with black!

I paired her with Gwynevar Du Roy 

a black polled katmoget.  He is a really nice and fine fleeced ram.

He has also been scrapie tested and is an RR ram.

He is for sale, the above link will take you to the 

N.A.S.S.A. site where you can see his listing.

 what a sweetie and mother is very attentive.

...This one is a keeper!!

#58 Jasmine

This sweet little ewe delivered twin ram lambs evening last (3/21).

She is a seasoned Mom and takes great care of her lambs.

The lamb's sire is my Border Cheviot.

(this is the ewe i've been waiting to deliver since Sunday)

So far this evening no new babies.  I've taken Friday off

(my job) to run some errands and get our truck ready to haul

a bunch of wool to Black Swamp Fiber Fest

for myself and a couple of friends.

I finished skirting all my white fleeces and have decided to send

all but two to have combed top made at Zeilinger's

Can't wait to get this back and spin some of it.

The two beautiful white fleeces I have held back will be taken 

to The Great Lakes Fiber Show

to be sold in the fleece sale.  I haven't skirted all of my fleeces

yet but I don't think I will enter as many this year.

I will know better once I've had a chance to get them all skirted.

#125 Paula

Paula delivered these twin rams before I came home 

from work Tuesday late afternoon (3/21)  These are the first of 

my crossbred lambs.  I've used a border cheviot ram with my shetland ewes.

The ram is just a bit larger than the shetland ram, but has a very 

small head and narrow chest.  So deliveries shouldn't be any 

different than if they were bred to a shetland ram.

This is Paula's first time having lambs and she is doing quite well

with two.  Her milk is still coming and and you can see that they

have found the water already.  I've offered some milk by bottle

but they aren't too interested in it.

No new deliveries today...we'll see what tonight or tomorrow brings.

#128 Willow

Willow delivered this cute, crimpy ..will be horned ram this morning.

She was bred to one of the new rams that we have, "Two Tone".

This little guy has inherited his spotting from his Sire.

Oh, and we are still waiting on the ewe that I thought would deliver 

her lambs first.