Today was shearing day. The weather co-operated and the sheep seemed happy to get their fleeces removed.
It's always so much fun to see how the sheep look underneath all that wool, and have a feel of the fleeces. I forget how small Shetlands actually are underneath that amazing coat.
Everything went very well with only one nick to Sunny on his ear when he put up some ram like resistance. Everyone else, even Isabella who had her first shearing experience behaved.
The four bred girls don't look due for a few weeks more at least. They are large and happy though so I can be patient because lambs will be here before I know it. Jewel looks the largest, but only because Amelia hides behind everyone else.
I know I haven't been blogging, it has been a hard month or so on all fronts. Ending the other day with the decision to send Griffin to market. I am also still considering how to decrease my flock and will have Sunny and several ewes for sale this year (as well as lambs) so it should be an interesting year.
Shula, I'm so sorry to hear about your hectic herd and Griffin. We were having similar thoughts about Xavier after he broke down our shed and started shaking the post-and-beam barn. We had to get him a ram shield, and he's been better, but he does have a horn that is awful close to his chin line.
ReplyDeleteHow many ewes are you expecting to lamb? Our ewes were also quite far off after shearing - at least 4-6 weeks. I think we'll still be lambing in early April even though we put Xavier in with them October 3rd.
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I am expecting 4 ewes to lamb but probably not until at least early April, no one is showing much bagging up and my rams went in with them around October time too. Of course we had that warm spell so I don't think the girls were that interested then.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your lambs this year. I have found that rams personalities change by their third year a little and they can get bashy even if they weren't before. I think I might stick to 1-2 year old rams in future.
I'm new to your blog - love your photographs. I have what I call a farm in upstate NY with Icelandic sheep (5). It has been a tough year, hasn't it. Who do you use to shear? Looks like a great job.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :) Thank you. I use Andy Rice from Vermont to shear my sheep. I think he's wonderful. 5 is a nice number and around what I plan to decrease to. 2011 has so far not been a good year, I hope it will improve.
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