Sunday, May 20, 2012

2 More Ewe Lambs!

I got 2 more ewe lambs today. From the lady that I got 2 from last year. These were born in February. They are mostly Finn with a little Suffolk. They are both not really white but a soft white color. Both kind of wild. So it might take awhile to egt them to come near me. I have some names I have been thinking about. I know one of them, probably the smaller one, will be Adalaide. And I was thinking the other day that Amarillo would be a really cute name. I also like Azalea. But I think the other ewe will be Amarillo. So I now have 4 ewe lambs and 5 year old ewes. Plus the 3 ram lambs.

Now I am wondering what to do about a ram. Or rams. Since I have wool sheep and hair sheep, I was thinking I'd need at least 2 rams of the same breeds. I was going to just use my 3 rams that were born here. Then butcher them in the fall. That's what I did with the ram that bred 4 of my ewes. So I might just do what I had planned, then next year buy a ram that I could use for all the ewes. I don't want too many rams.

So my flock is growing.

I went the other day to look at some Nubian goats. I had found this guy on Craig's list last year. I went to see his goats and fell in love with them. They are just beautiful animals. And so healthy and shiny and very well cared for and loved. He has several generations there. They   all have names too.

So when I got to his place Friday, he had so many babies all over the place. I don't know how anyone could make up their mind on which ones to get. They were all beautiful. But I did pick out a doe and a buck. And changed my mind several times later. But he is really picky about when he weans his kids. And when they are ready to go. And to who. He told me to call in a few weeks. So I will. And I will be ready to go get them.

I could still kick myself for not getting the 2 does he had for sale last year. For $150. for both of them. But I was not really wanting to get young does right then. I so wish I had gotten them. Especially at that price. But now I think I am more at that place where I could take a doe kid. Since I am keeping Sandy and Abby's doe kids from this year, I will have young kids.

I am so tired. I have had a busy day. I tilled more garden rows and planted more beans, okra and field peas. It looked like we might get some rain here, but it hit Chattanooga instead. We have chances for rain Monday and Tuesday too.

2 comments:

SweetLand Farm said...

Nice. We have two sheep, a Romney Finn cross and a Finn ewes. Have never bred them but maybe some year we'll get our act together. Their wool is amazing too! Actually my husband is shearing one of them as I type this!
Sounds like you'll be having some goats milk too!

Kris said...

I love my sheep. Most of the time. They can be buggars sometimes. I went to Tractor Supple the other day and got a shepherds crook. Very handy item to have.

Most of mine have Finn in them with one of the ewes being full Finn. I'll have to shear them all again in August probably.

What do you do with your wool? Do you do it all yourself and make yarn? I am going to take my 3 bags of wool to some people in Murfreesboro, Tn. that do small batches. I want to wear mine next winter!

And yes, I have lots of milk. A friend just came yesterday to get the only buck we had. Good thing Sandy had twins. I am keeping her doeling. And I found kefir grains from a lady in Ohio, the kefir lady. I got them last week and they are already growing like crazy.