It's a Girl!!

We've had the wierdest wintery weather today. How did I know we'd have our first lamb today?? ;)

Milehaus Clare (Fibre Works Isidor) delivered Windy Grange's very first lamb of the season!! She had a lovely white ewe. After getting the first time mom into a jug (apparently I have two ewes wanting to steal the poor little lamb) they are doing fine. Pictures tomorrow - I think the run has started.

Day 150

It's Day 150 since I put the breeding groups together and still no lambs. I know it will be soon, but the anticipation is KILLING me! Lambing season is like Christmas - you never know what is in that package until it's opened!!

There are definitely 2 different lambing dates since there was the fence failure with two of my four breeding groups. Only one ewe will deliver from the first grouping and, luckily, I saw her bred so I know which ram is the sire!!

Time for a lamb check.

Shearing - check; Lambing???

The shearer made it out today as promised and we have 25 skinner sheep!! Too bad it decided to be damp and drizzly, luckily we got all the sheep sheared prior to any drizzle.

I was getting things ready for lambing and noticed one of my ewes seperating herself from the rest and not eating quite as much. She's also put herself in the shelter facing the corner and chasing everyone else out. She paces a bit, then puts herself back into the corner of the shelter.

Lambing watch for her has begun!!! Better check my supplies asap!

Another Post !

This coming Friday is shearing day. I have two days to get things together and ready for the shearer. Luckily, my husband has decided not to go away this weekend and has now been recruited to help move sheep. I also have my girlfriend Susan and maybe another coming to help move the 25 ewes and rams in and out of the shearing barn. This will give the shearer less work, and after everything the shearer taught us from last year (i.e. no help, not as ready as he would have liked, me being intimidated by the rams, etc. - hey,we were new at this!!), he will be very pleased!!

For anyone in the area, if you want to help be here around 3:30 p.m. Friday and we will provide supper afterward!!

For Sale: 25 fleeces in a variety of colours. If you are looking for Shetland, I have 24 (and a few left from last year) and I also will have one lovely Shetland/Gotland/Finn mix fleece in a warm brown. I can provide pictures for anyone interested.

I am looking at AI for my Shetland/Gotland/Finn mix ewe(s). I have the chance to obtain some 75% Gotland straws for next breeding season. I have an appointment with my vet to see if she will be on board with the AI program. Without her, it will be useless to try!!

I also have 4 lambs in the freezer and another that needs to be butchered. Anyone interested in a lamb? How do you market your lamb??

The county coyote control man has collected his traps and has rid us of 5 or 6 coyotes. I hope this helps. If not, he will be called in again. Cross your fingers!

I haven't had any new pictures to post in a while, so I decided to allow my favorite barn cats to bless the end of my post. The love to love and to be loved! Spring has finally sprung in Northern Alberta Canada, so they are the perfect ending!

Our farm cats, Oliver and Twist!

That is all the news from the Windy Grange Farm - for now.

Spring storm

Just when things were just about melted, mother nature decided to remind us that we live in Northern Alberta. It was lovely this morning and then started to spit some rain. Now, the drizzle and rain has turned to HUGE flakes of snow. The rams do not look impressed, the ewes are hunkered down, except on ewe! Fibre Works Fiat is enjoying the snow and licking the flakes off of the gate. You'd think she was a lamb, but she's nearing 6 years old. Fun to watch, at least I have work inside to do to help keep my mind off of all the outside work that needs to be completed before lambing in 2 weeks.

No new pictures again. Soon!!

SPRING!!!

Spring has finally come to Northern Alberta!! The snow is melting, and there was A LOT of it!! The run off has decided to sit in two of the sheep pens, one of them is the lambing pen, so we've been pumping it out 12 hours a day.

Lambing date is April 27th which is coming quickly. But, as we all know, the lambs could come sooner (April 18th at the earliest I think). The ewes are bagging up, so things are going well. Since everyone has been posting about their lambs, I'm getting the need to see some on our farm!!

There's a bunch of work to do prior to lambing, so the next week will be BUSY!! That's what happens when one goes on holidays before lambing season.

Alright - back to work!

Spring has not sprung

Spring has not sprung, so they tell me. I'm in Palm Springs with my husband having a holiday before the fun of shearing and lambing begins.


I'm told there has been snow falling since we left. I feel a bit guilty leaving my girls the last 7 weeks of their pregnancy, but they are in great hands!! I'll be home before they realize I'm gone.

Shearing is going to be interesting, it may have to wait until after the snow goes. I don't have a large enough barn for all my fellas and gals to keep them dry. I'm sure the shearer won't be coming out in the snow either!! It's still early, things can change in two or three weeks!! Lambing isn't scheduled until the very end of April - beginning of May.

We've lost a llama last week, poor fella. The vet was out and said he most likely had a metabolic problem since he was a hybrid (llama/alpaca mix) or a twisted gut/intestine. Nothing contagious, but the poor thing died before he could be put down.

As you can see he had the most gorgeous wool!! I was so looking forward to spinning it and colour was so reddish brown it made me drool. Oh well, some things cannot be helped.

While the vet was out, he checked on the condition of some of the pregnant older ewes and they have good body condition, so yay!! This is important as it is only our second season of lambing and it's always good to know we're doing things right!

Everyone is teasing me with their postings of their lambs and I'm getting so very excited to see what my girls will have this year!! So cute and so wonderful! Shetlands are so addictive ...