One of the aspects I am not particularly fond of here in the north, is driving. To get somewhere, a lot of driving is usually involved. Nothing is close by. I try to make my day to day living within a 30 km distance or so and except for the dog food, which is closer to 60 km away, I manage to stay within the 30 km for the most part. But, when I want or need something that is not attainable here, the drive is formidable, as it was today. Dorset sheep are not common, and really becoming quite rare. There are two facets of Dorsets, naturally horned and naturally polled. The horned Dorset is a stockier, somewhat larger animal than the polled Dorset. Today, I drove three hours each way to retrieve a pregnant ewe and a non related ram lamb. The farm in Millet, just south of Leduc where the Edmonton International airport is located, was well set up for sheep raising, with the fanciest sheep handling system available and good fences and pens, plus a huge insulated barn. The handsome young farmer and his veterinarian wife now have five children and he works a full time career away from the farm in addition to trying to be a dad and husband. Their time for the sheep was running thin, so they decided to part with them. We had a lovely conversation and I left an hour later with the ewe and little ram, who will breed her next year and any female lambs she has. She is two years old and has had a single lamb the first time. Dorsets are exceptional mothers and commonly have twins or triplets twice yearly, and raise them without any intervention. She is due at the end of December or early in January. When a good mother has lambs in the dead of a cold winter, she will lick them clean and then lay on them to keep them warm, leaving only their heads exposed to breathe. I will watch for her birthing time and when she appears due, I will relocate her to the barn, though not insulated, somewhat warmer than outside in the three sided sheep shelter.
Welcome, my lovely Dorset sheep.
Welcome, my lovely Dorset sheep.
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