The Story

Intense anticipation, nervousness, and excitement was experienced May 5- May 21 for everyone, ewes and shepherd. We dealt with a prolapse two weeks out, assisted in birthing twins, but mostly watched anxiously as ewes and lambs naturally learned their roles. Upon reflection it was an amazing experience! Looking forward to doing it again in 2025.

The first week of December we welcomed Jacque to the flock. Everyone is well conditioned and excited for breeding season! Oats have been added to the daily diet for the first month for a touch of fat and additional energy. This winter will be spent preparing for our 1st lambing!

If we haven't had record precipitation this Summer, it certainly feels like it! The girls have been keeping their feet dry on hillside pasture. Several dry days in late August allowed us to get our Winter hay cut and in the barn loft. We are very thankful! It looks like a delicious second cut this year.

The months of July and August were spent rehabilitating an old pasture which had been brush hogged in June. Some of the more undesirable plants encountered included cow parsley, goldenrod, blackberry, ferns, buckthorn, and white ash, however they were readily consumed by these overzealous sheep who began their tour in 600 ft2 paddocks and ended it in 1200 ft2 paddocks.

By far the most undesirable plant requiring physical removal by hand from each new paddock was creeping thistle (pictured herein). I suspect this plant was responsible for an abscess on the cheek of Ravioli that grew for two weeks before bursting. I treated her by squeezing out the remaining pus and applying hydrogen peroxide to the wound for two days while it healed. The abscess shrank and was not noticeable a month later.

A second injury observed this summer was a limping Snow. Absent any obvious sign of injury or infection, I trimmed her overgrown hooves which rectified the problem by the next day. Absent any hard ground to wear their hooves down, I find I need to trim their claws monthly.

This FALL we welcomed Annie to the flock. She spent the first two months of life in my mudroom while she was bottle fed and slowly introduced and transitioned to pasturing with the big girls. Perhaps too long a transition, as she thinks she is one of the dogs and I her mother!

In preparation for winter a paddock was built off the barn so the sheep could come and go as they please. Salvaged woven wire fence and t-posts were used with the addition of a strand of polywire for added security.

Outside pasturing ended on November 15 with four inches of heavy wet snow followed by colder weather.

Sheep coats were purchased to protect the girls’ wool from becoming contaminated with hay, which is being used both as feed and bedding material in the barn. There was much bucking and jumping for an hour after coat fitting, not the celebratory kind! The girls have since worn their coats very nicely.

Annie continues to assimilate and has been accepted by the girls 100%, although it does not appear to be a reciprocal deal, as she still baas for “Mom”.

A wall mounted feeder and hanging net were installed on opposite sides of the barn stall for variety, ease of access, and to disperse wrestling matches when new flakes of hay are provided.