​Bob came to the farm late in the fall of 2016. Purebred Cotswold rams are hard to find in Canada. Once a prized breed for their wool and meat, the Cotswolds fell out of favour due to their slower growth. The rams average around 300 pounds or a little less and the ewes 250ish, but they require two full years to mature. Some animals do grow faster than others, but they are not a pounds on quickly meat breed. They do pay for their keep in their lustrous curly fleece though, with a great fleece averaging 7 to 9 pounds of soft, shiny wool. Hand spinners and crafters love the wool for its strength, sheen, and for the individual curls used for Santa beards, scarves and felting projects. The sheep are gentle natured, friendly, great mothers and thrive on grass and marginal forage. What is not to love? 

Bob was delivered by a transport who parked at the end of our rather lengthy driveway. He was haltered and walked down the driveway without any issue and stood waiting for his next move. Blind in one eye, he cocked his big head to 'listen' better when I spoke to him. I loved him instantly. Sometimes an animal comes into our lives that simply makes a connection and the mutual love is instant. It was that way with big, old Bob. 

Bob was shorn when he arrived from the British Columbia interior. There the weather is mild compared to this region, plus he had a lovely warm barn and lots of oats to munch. I was worried that he would not grow enough of a coat to stay warm in our climate. I did not realize he would come shorn. Sheep here are shorn in the spring only, never the fall, for they need their fleece to insulate them from the cold. Bob would amble over to me when I called him and would give that big head a pat. He was a beautiful coloured ram who had sired many lambs in his years. But he was getting on. I hoped for at least one more breeding season from him. 

Bob went to visit the ewes, 5 purebred Cotswolds, 1 E'st a Laine Merino, and 1 Gotland/BFL. I saw no evidence of breeding and began to get worried that it was not happening. 7 ewes is surely manageable for a big old guy like Bob! Then Bob and the border collie, Robbie, had a tiff and Bob got a few nips. He developed an infection and was treated, but that incident, plus extremely frigid weather, began his demise. I made Bob a coat from a thick wool carpet underlay to help keep him warm. He spent most of his time in the shelter though, so I began to feed him there too. Bob made it through the winter, but in the spring he faltered. He was down and could not get up. I got him up and he rallied, but I found him down again in a few days. Then he was down every day, and finally, he did not have the strength to stand. Of course there was a blizzard then, in April and he was outside. Despite losing a lot of weight, I still could not move poor ol' Bob. So, I covered him with his wool blanket, and then covered that with straw. I did not expect him to last more than that day. But the next morning he was still with me, so I put some snow in his mouth,just to wet his palate, since he had quit eating and drinking. I gave him some lovely alfalfa hay to rest his big head on. Bob passed away. I was so sad to see him go. 

There was no evidence that Bob bred any of his ewes. The first date they could have given birth was April 25th and there was no show of udder development or belly swelling. Thomas Tunis was in as a clean up ram after Bob, so the ewes were bred, but if it was by the Tunis, they would not lamb until July. 

Then in May, the ewes began to show signs of being in lamb - low large tummies, some udder development. Yay! Bob did leave his mark after all. The ewes all had ewe lambs too, except Tova, the Gotland/BFL, who had twins, one coloured ewe lamb and one white ram lamb. He will be pretty spectacular, I think, with excellent fleece. I will use him next year to breed these ewes, but of course not his mother or the ewe lambs. 7 ewe lambs and one ram lamb! 

Every once in a while it is humbling to be touched by such a gentle creature as Bob was. My eyes still well up when I think of him, I loved him so. His presence here was short really, but his legacy is present and in every one of these lambs, there will be a touch of that big, old, fabulous ram. Thanks Bob, for your gifts to the Fat Ewe Farm!

Of course it all happens during the worst thunderstorm of the season! The sheep busted through the end gate and out to the big pasture. This was definitely a no no, because the lambs are too young to follow. They need another two weeks to pay attention, especially the younger ones that are under a week old. But, today was the day! It could have been the goats. They always think the grass is greener out there. 

Before hunkering down for the major part of the storm, I thought I would check on the sheep and goats. There are several sheep and one goat that are very due to have their babies. The places they choose are not always the wisest, either. That is when I saw that they had elected for freedom. So Robbie nad I herded them back, but they were not having it. They ran past the entrance gate into the other field and kept going to the end of their fenced area. That is a quarter mile! Then we herded them all back, but the goats and Karin Llama decided not to comply and went north again. Grrr! The thunder had started in earnest and the rain was threatening. Please, could we just get this done before the onslaught? 

Finally, everyone was in and locked up, and I did a quick check. Darn, one of the young Tunis lambs, just a few days old, was missing. Mamma was calling and calling. I first looked for him in the pen, in case he had followed the other Tunis group, but he was nowhere in sight. So, Charka and Jenna, who are terrified of thunder, along with Robbie and I began the ordeal of trying to find a little tiny ram lamb that completely blends in with his surroundings. The wind had picked up and the poplar trees were crashing down in the forest. Best to stay out of there. The wind was a problem too, in that the scent of the lamb was very hard to track and it had really started to rain, also washing away the scent. I left one small gate open for Mamma Tunis to follow and search on her own. She might have a better chance than my posse. 

We traipsed back and forth from one end to the other and criss crossed the pasture 4 times. I called and I asked the trees for help. Nothing. I was ready to go in and take a  break, then start in earnest. The lamb would not have a chance of surviving the night if he was not found before dark. The livestock guardian dogs, Mike and Joe, were staying with their sheep, while the rest of us were out hunting. Robbie picked up the scent of something but was looking up a spruce tree. I encouraged him and looked up there too, but the wind had carried the scent. Charka caught a sniff too. Could it be the lamb? Charka ran into the tree and the lamb ran out. 

What a sigh of relief and look! Trotting down the path was Tunis Mamma with the other lamb. I do think the trees heard me and sheltered this little one and then told Mamma to get her butt down the trail to pick him up. She was relieved and the baby was  too, but not as much as I was . Robbie was excited and beside himself that he found the lamb. Robbie has not always done the right things on the farm and has herded and chased some animals far more than he every should have when he was a bit younger, but I was so grateful for him at that moment! Thank you Robbie, Charka, the trees, Mamma sheep and whomever else was responsible for the safety of the baby. 

Mamma sheep took him back to the pen. In the meantime, in the storm, thunder and driving rain, Lissa had given birth at the base of the manure pile? Why the manure pile? GADS, sheep are like that. The little one was up and trying to nurse, but Lissa had not cleaned her off very well. I took the newborn and put her in one of the shelters away from the wind and rain. 

The trouble was resolved and a new life came forth as well, all during this terrible thunderstorm. Sometimes events do not go as planned, or expected or even hoped for, but in the end, what transpired is better than anything that could have been orchestrated. Tova is looking like she wants to give birth too. Possibly the pressure system is influencing the deliveries? I am just very grateful. And what an afternoon that one was!

Enya is a purebred Jacob ewe. She has had a lamb last year, so is an experienced mother. But today, she was totally confused. 
Enya knew she was in labour. She started running around talking to all the young lambs already born. Last night, Obe, had twin ewe lambs and Enya decided one was hers. She would not let Obe near her and was licking her and talking to her. But, she had a little nose and two little feet protruding from her back end. Enya would not relax enough to actually have her own lamb. 
I dragged Enya out of the shelter with Obe and she was frantic, thinking she was departing from HER lamb. I would not let her in, so she went to another newborn lamb in another shelter and began the same ritual of licking the lamb and claiming her, then not letting the real mother near her. 
So once again, I dragged Enya out of there and locked her up in her own world. She was frantic once more, thinking she was leaving her lamb behind and she fought me and tried hard to get away and out. She continued this crazy behaviour for about 15 minutes when her true labour began all over again. She would not settle down to birth her baby and I could only hope for the best. I believe the baby was beginning to be in danger, protruding a little for so long. 
But Enya pulled through. I guess the contractions were strong enough to slow her down and she laid down and went into labour in earnest. The little beautiful lamb was born and Enya began the arduous task of licking her to clean her and nuzzled her up to nurse. It was just then that Enya was down again. 
Her second lamb was born and I put some clean straw in with her for the lambs because is has been raining incessantly hard for 2 days. Enya birthed the second lamb and began eating the straw instead of cleaning the lamb. She more or less was ignoring him, encouraging the first to nurse and eating. This erratic behaviour was very uncustomary and I thought intervening again best.
I grabbed the first born and went into the house. I had been outside for several hours in the pouring rain and was soaked to the skin anyhow. The lamb was with me for about 15 minutes to give Enya time to bond with the second born. When I brought the girl back out, Enya was cleaning the boy and still eating straw. The little fellow was stronger and was trying to nurse.
Jacob sheep are a primitive unimproved breed. Their instincts are intact and they seldom need interventions for lambing. I have never bottle fed a Jacob lamb either. This behaviour was just very strange. There were lots of lambs being born in the last 2 days. I can't blame that on the full moon because it was 5 days ago. I left Enya with her little ones and went in for a cup of coffee and to get dry clothes on. Lunch is way past time, so I am going to look for something for dinner instead. Then I will go back and check the babies and moms and hope that no more strange behaviours surface.
On a good note though, Enya has two lovely big babies. Jacob sheep are a rare breed and the gene pool is shallow in Canada. These are premium stock. Enya was born here on the farm and bred to a large, beautifully conformed four horned local ram, which I purchased. My Jacob sheep are going to two stewards of the breed to continue the breeding program and promote the breed. They are almost a perfect sheep, smaller in stature, but hardy and smart. They seldom ever require assistance lambing and nurse and care for their young with diligence. The fleece is amazing, soft and spins or felts into beautiful garments. I have not eaten Jacob lamb meat, but it is purported to be delicate and divine.
Thank you Enya for your gift to me on Mother's Day! Bless all those little lambies and their silly mothers everywhere! 

Whew! The last week has been filled, well over-filled with a bunch of too busy days. Some days as many as ten different people came to the farm for one reason or another. There is the John Deere lawn tractor to fix, the smart car got sold, a few looking at the two trucks I have for sale, my new solar fridge arriving, people coming to buy goats and bed and breakfast guests. Some of those days I got up earlier than I would have normally to make breakfast for my guests. And of course, the third to last goat had triplets and today alone, 3 sheep had lambs with one set of twins. Rosy needed help with her single HUGE ram lamb. My goodness he is big! The sire was a Babydoll/BFL and although the lamb looks Babydoll, he is as large as a big Blue Faced Leicester lamb. Too bad it is a boy though. I don't usually make wethers out of the sheep, but I think that one would make a great companion ram for those who have just one breeding ram. I cannot find my elastic applicator though! 

There have been moments of planting some things in the flower beds, painting some new planters, ensuring the sheep and goats do not stay out long on the first green grass of the season and then last night, I stepped on a 3 inch nail. Ouch! I soaked it in the tub along with my old bones and went to the hospital for a tetanus shot this morning just after 9. I got out of the hospital finally , at 12:30. The doctor was in a clinic and only came over for emergencies, my situation, not being considered anywhere close to emergency. So, I visited with my friend Alan, who has brain cancer. He was making plans for his funeral and I tried to cheer him up, but when I arrived he did not know who I was. Sad. 

There will be a few more of these crazy days before life gets settled down somewhat. Once the two trucks are sold, and the old fridge I was using is also gone, and the goats and lambs, then the animals can go out to their summer pasture and life should be quieter. Except there will be gardens to plant and yard clean up to finish, and it goes on. The thing that is not getting accomplished, that always gets pushed to the last, is my own little hovel. It desperately needs a day of cleaning and organizing, but somehow all those other jobs are taking the priority. 

I soaked my foot again in the tub along with my bones, as I do every night and sleep calls. Sweet dreams all. 
​

Wool sheep might be the answer to the North American food crisis and plastic pollution as well. 

Depending on the sheep breed, up to 7 sheep can be raised in the same space as one cow and they will still eat less than that cow. Sheep are ruminants and do not require grain. As a matter of fact, if they are not used to grain and eat a good quantity of it, they will bloat and die. Grass fed meat is far superior nutritionally to grain fed anyhow, with more of the good fats, vitamins and minerals too. 

People often raise sheep that shed their winter coats, called hair sheep, to avoid having to shear the sheep, but that is counterproductive. If the right breeds are raised, as in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the wool also provides and income for the shepherd, not just the meat. Most sheep can be milked for a brief period of time. However; if the breeding schedule is such that the flock is bred at two different times a year, there would be sheep milk year round, fresh and healthy. Sheep milk is one of the best milks, far superior to cow's milk, and naturally rich in butterfat and naturally homogenized. A lamb needs to nurse for a minimum of 8 weeks and up to 12. The lambs can be taken from the moms at night and the ewes milked in the morning, then the lambs returned to the mothers for the day. I have not done this, but am thinking of it. I have a lovely new bunch of lambies being born and those I am keeping, I plan to halter train and try to milk next year. 

The best part of the sheep is the wool though. There is nothing better for retaining body heat naturally, wicking away moisture and getting a good night's sleep on or under or both. Wool can be dyed, woven, spun, felted and the pelts can be made into stunning sheep skin rugs, well known for their therapeutic properties, especially for the young, old and infirm. 

Then, there is the meat. That is the part I have the hardest time with. I watch the lambs being born, cuddle them, participate in their growth and rearing and then send them to slaughter to eat. Yes, they are raised humanely. Yes, they have wonderful lives here at the Fat Ewe Farm. But, it is so barbaric to raise an animal to eat it. Still, when there are too many little boys born, their fate will be meat. That is the way of the farm. If I do not eat them, they are sold to a market who does. Even too many little female lambs of certain breeds are sent to the market. Sad. 

Still, sheep could easily be the answer to North American agriculture. Stop growing grain to feed to cows. Ridiculous! Turn the fields back to natural weedy pastures for sheep (and goats) and raise wool sheep for meat, milk and fleece. All that grain that is fed to cows is not necessary. Right?
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The photos are the newborn ewe lamb this morning. She is purebred Cotswold, an old English breed of sheep with creamy white lustrous locks of wool that grow in ringlets. They are a medium sized sheep, but heavy. They lost popularity due to their slow growth rate, which means they take a full two years to mature. But they are gentle natured, even the rams and are perfect mothers, most often having twins and raising them with no problems. The fleece is sought after by hand spinners and specialty producers who love the long shiny locks. A beautiful large Cotswold fleece will bring 60 to 100 additional dollars in the shepherd's purse, well enough to justify the two year's growth rate. They are my favourite sheep breed!