Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Firsts for the farm

   Last week we had the sheep sheared for the first time.  We were lucky to have a wonderful shearer named Nancy Meyers who was willing to talk to us and  give us tips, etc.  She said the sheep were looking good, and except for all the vegetable matter in their coats, the fleece was gorgeous.  We knew we had to set up a different feeder style so the hay doesn't sit on their necks and so the rams cannot sleep UNDER the feeder, making for hay monsters in the morning. Here is a quick look at some of the shearing.
Maxine, pre-shearing


Arwen - pre-shearing
Sam being sheared

Nice crimp in this fleece

Rosie was the least happy of all of them

Arwen shorn

Maxine shorn
scraps of fleece showing the colors of the fleeces


   After the shearing - as in three days later, Maxine gave us a beautiful set of little black hst twins.   Drew arrived for morning feeding and chores and they had just been born. The ram is Aragorn, and the ewe is Eowyn.  They are doing well - eating, gamboling about the pen, and sleeping well.  We put them in little sweaters as Saturday was raw and windy and we wanted to help them keep warm.  They are the remainders of a felted sweater I made slippers from this winter, but the sleeve remnants were the perfect size.  They are cut in such a way that it looks like they are trying to be super heroes.  I just call them Super Ram and Super Ewe. 
Just about an hour old

Aragorn

Super Ewe in the foreground and Super Ram behind

Eowyn is not going hungry

Arwen, still VERY pregnant - we are hoping for triplets from her, and a little worried it might be quads.

Our noble Elrond, always on guard

tired little lambs

King of his corner