After waiting what seemed like months, my sheep have all been sheared! (I can't tell them apart now til I get closer!) They've never gone this long, and I was getting worried. To me, they seemed really hot, especially when they stood around panting like dogs. But it's not been too hot, except for maybe a few weeks. And not all together. Nights have been really nice and cool.
So I found out, on a sheep forum, that sheep's wool is an insulator. It keeps them cool on hot days and warm on cold days. I just never knew this. The shearer, Rosemarie, said it's true. After a few others said the same thing. So I learned something new. Again. It's good to learn something every day, right? But they look much better without all that heavy wool all over them. And I believe they feel better now.
AND, I now have 6 bags of wool from them! Adele's wool will be good for felting. Since she is half hair and half Finn, her wool is a bit hairy. I may end up selling her if I don't end up breeding any of them next fall. I could use Bilbo The Hobbit Ram on her and Darla for some meaty lambs. But those would be the only 2 ewes I'd breed. I think I'm done breeding the Finn sheep.
Also, Amarillo, the ewe that had the quads, her wool had some breakage throughout. It could possibly have been because she had quads. I'll also use her wool for felting this time. And hopefully, next year, her wool will be fabulous!
Annabelle and Adelaide's wool is amazing! And my little tiny Buttercup, who just turned a year old in April, has beautiful buttery soft wool! Can't wait to get it all cleaned and carded now! Rosemarie was really impressed with her wool and the other 2.
And they were all really healthy looking, weight-wise. And all had nice pink eyelids too! I was SO relieved to see that. I had been so worried, with so many sheep, that they would get Barber Pole worms again. Especially since the grass just wasn't growing and I couldn't get all the poop raked up fast enough. But they are all looking good. Except for Amarillo, she's a bit skinny, but she had quads. Still has the 2 ram lambs on her. Which need to be castrated!
They are in the big pasture now for awhile. It finally started growing. They'll stay there a few weeks til the other pasture gets growing taller. I quit feeding grain! They were getting a little chunky.
They got in the little barn in the pasture next door. It seems to be cool in there and the flies are really bothering them. I need to either buy or make some spray for them. The poor alpacas are not liking these bad flies. They are like horses and the flies get in their eyes. Poor boys. I made a spray yesterday with citronella and tried to get it on them.
This is Cassidy, Adele's ewe lamb. I decided to keep her. She would be at least 85% Finn. Something like that anyway. She's a big girl. And I hope she will have some nice wool. Rosemarie seemed to think she would. Not too sure about one of the black lambs though.
It is finally starting to feel like it might start getting warmer now. The lightenin' bugs are all over the place. I love seeing them all over in the trees. The garden just got watered really good tonight from the sprinkler. Got more corn, beans and okra planted last Thursday. The squash and zucchini are looking good. A bit slow, so they got a good soaking. The okra I planted a few weeks ago is a few inches high now. And the tomatoes need staking bad! I just mowed down the radish and lettuce rows and will plant cucumbers there. And the one wide middle row will be for butternut squash. Then I wait. I'll take a break from the Wed. market a few weeks. Do some weeding and mulching. And wait some more.
