Sunday morning, up with the lark...NOT! Up with the blue jays and Stellar jays and magpies and ravens. Those darn birds are the noisiest things out there. No matter where I put the dog food, the jays and magpies seem to find it, even if it is hidden behind something on the front porch. I wish the dogs wouldn't share their food with the birds, but with the domestic fowl running around the yard, I am sure they are not thinking about that at all.
But then it was a busy day. I was up and out of bed earlier than I would have liked to have been for a Sunday. There is so much to do for spring cleaning. The coops all need cleaning out, the debris and twine needs to be picked up and the trash hauled away that collected under the snow.
When I went to greet the sheep, my little angel, the red Tunis/Shetland cross ewe lamb came running to greet me as she usually does. How beautiful to have a baby sheep so happy to see a human. All I have ever done is love her, not bribed her with food. She knows it. But then, Enya was in the corner off by herself and sure enough, Enya had a baby. Though it was not black and white spotted as it was supposed to be, it was healthy and strong, a ram lamb with two horns.
Hmmm, how did that happen? Enja and her mother were in with the Jacob ram lamb, 7 months old, old enough certainly to breed two ewes. One pair of Shetlands was next door, the Shetland ram lamb that bred the ewes when he was just a bit over 4 months old. I had no idea that when I put the Jacobs together, Jean was already bred. In February when she had her lamb, I watched the rest of the ewes and all together 5 had lambs and then almost 2 months has passed so for sure the sire could not have been the Shetland. Or could it have?
The ram lamb looks exactly like the ram lamb Jean had sired by the Shetland, with the Shetland face and fine curly wool. He was next door and breeding through the fence is not unheard of with livestock. Well, guess what? Yes, that little Shetland got Enya before the Jacob did. I am crying because I was very much hoping for Jacob lambs. I am not sure what will become of the ram lambs, but I am thinking they will be sold for meat in the fall.The four horned ram may find a home as an anomaly for an acreage if he is lucky.
And in the afternoon, Richie Rich went to a new home. A lovely young couple came,saw, bought and went away with Richie to add to their very large flock of Boer commercial meat goats. The young lady actually picked up my Nigerian buckling last fall and although I had never met her because she wasn't home when I picked the buckling up, she remembered me -well sort of.
And lastly, it was very cold last night and the hose was frozen solid and for the day before. I carried some water in buckets and really hoped that today the hose would thaw so I didn't have to do that again. Finally when the sun came around to the west, the hose thawed. Yay! I finished the watering and called it a night just after 7 pm. That claw foot tub had been calling my name and the warm waters felt so soothing. Now...off to bed and to do it all again tomorrow.What fun!
But then it was a busy day. I was up and out of bed earlier than I would have liked to have been for a Sunday. There is so much to do for spring cleaning. The coops all need cleaning out, the debris and twine needs to be picked up and the trash hauled away that collected under the snow.
When I went to greet the sheep, my little angel, the red Tunis/Shetland cross ewe lamb came running to greet me as she usually does. How beautiful to have a baby sheep so happy to see a human. All I have ever done is love her, not bribed her with food. She knows it. But then, Enya was in the corner off by herself and sure enough, Enya had a baby. Though it was not black and white spotted as it was supposed to be, it was healthy and strong, a ram lamb with two horns.
Hmmm, how did that happen? Enja and her mother were in with the Jacob ram lamb, 7 months old, old enough certainly to breed two ewes. One pair of Shetlands was next door, the Shetland ram lamb that bred the ewes when he was just a bit over 4 months old. I had no idea that when I put the Jacobs together, Jean was already bred. In February when she had her lamb, I watched the rest of the ewes and all together 5 had lambs and then almost 2 months has passed so for sure the sire could not have been the Shetland. Or could it have?
The ram lamb looks exactly like the ram lamb Jean had sired by the Shetland, with the Shetland face and fine curly wool. He was next door and breeding through the fence is not unheard of with livestock. Well, guess what? Yes, that little Shetland got Enya before the Jacob did. I am crying because I was very much hoping for Jacob lambs. I am not sure what will become of the ram lambs, but I am thinking they will be sold for meat in the fall.The four horned ram may find a home as an anomaly for an acreage if he is lucky.
And in the afternoon, Richie Rich went to a new home. A lovely young couple came,saw, bought and went away with Richie to add to their very large flock of Boer commercial meat goats. The young lady actually picked up my Nigerian buckling last fall and although I had never met her because she wasn't home when I picked the buckling up, she remembered me -well sort of.
And lastly, it was very cold last night and the hose was frozen solid and for the day before. I carried some water in buckets and really hoped that today the hose would thaw so I didn't have to do that again. Finally when the sun came around to the west, the hose thawed. Yay! I finished the watering and called it a night just after 7 pm. That claw foot tub had been calling my name and the warm waters felt so soothing. Now...off to bed and to do it all again tomorrow.What fun!
Enya's little ram lamb...so NOT a Jacob, sigh.
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