Ever had one of THOSE days??

So, we fixed the fencer and the fence - check!

Time to move the troops. Rams not in the breeding program this year moved to the newly fixed fenced area - check.

Last two breeding groups put together - check

Decided to leave the lambs with the older gals for now - check

Feed my 13 year old ewe, Heidi, her mash - check

Put things away, check gates, etc. - check

Find the entire ram flock not being used for breeding season in the driveway on the wrong side of the newly fixed fence - priceless

(and it only took 45 minutes to round them up and move them into the plan B pen!!!)

It's been 2 days since the pen mishap AND I'm happy to announce everyone is still exactly where I left them.

It's now turned cold out (-18c). Winter is here!! Happy breeding season!!

Warm day in the fall - time to get things done.

Everyone fed, even though they thought they were starving - check.

Gate fixed - check.

Fence rewired - check.

Fencer not working yet - check.

One out of 3 breeding groups put together - check.

Watching ewes act a beautiful, yet pathetic death scene because of a halter - priceless.

Winter in the fall!

We got socked with a snow storm yesterday, 10-12 inches of heavy wet fluffy snow! Roads were slick and with freezing rain later in the evening, people were staying put! I was supposed to go pick up my new ewe lamb and drop off a leased ram at Linda W's yesterday, but I cancelled because of the weather. Today I was supposed to go, but I awoke with the flu. Hopefully next weekend will be better weather.

Although the snow makes everything look so lovely and fresh, I was not quite finished with my fall chores. Today it is warmer, so some of the white stuff is melting, but not fast enough!

I have two new female llamas. The older gal will be bred to my white calico male llama, Bran. The younger may be going to a new home already! If not, I'll be working with her and hopefully training her to be a pack llama.

Maybe I can spin between coughing spells?! Happy Halloween!

Winter, then Fall, then Winter, then Fall again!!!!

The weather is crazy!! -8c has been the coldest so far, but brrrrrrrrrrr ... and still the fall clean up isn't complete. We've had some snow, but it mostly melted today.

We just had the flock vet come out for our annual Scrapie inventory and check. Other than one case of pink eye, one ram that misbehaved and our older ewe's body condition being a little low, all looks good.

I LOVE our flock vet, she's AWESOME!! She is so good with our animals, she even did our guard dog's, Bear, physical and vaccinations while she was here. Mostly because he doesn't not travel well and she scolded me a bit last time she was here. But, how many vets would do such a thing??

I found out that the vet was learning how to felt wool, so I gifted her 1/2 lb. carded Shetland wool from one of our butchered lambs. She gifted me with my very own felted wool lamb!!



So, during the vets visit we found that my dear Heidiwho is now 13 years young, is a bit thin. She is missing most of her teeth, with a few more ready to fall out. We've started her on alfalfa/beet/rolled oat mash and she LOVES it! I'm hoping to put enough weight on her before the weather gets colder. We are now best of friends. I open the feed barn door, she comes in and waits for her mash. It works out great this way so I can keep her pen mates away from her so she doesn't have to fight them for the yummy mixture. When she is done, she looks around, gets some scratches and then walks out. We give her her own little pile of hay that she happilies "gums"!

I'm posting some new pictures of my lambs on the sale blog site. (http://windygrangebreedstocksales.blogspot.com/)

This guy isn't for sale, but I wanted to show him off!

This is Windy Grange Bronte. I'm in love with his fleece. His dam, Fibre Works Fiat, has a more "primative" fleece. His sire, "Willie", has UK genetics and a very crimpy fleece. Bronte is sporting his dams longer fleece with a nice crimp that both dam and sire passed to him. YUM!

Other farm news - our llama, Bran, decided to go for a walk about the yard. He "escaped" and rather than chase him all over, we just let him wander about as long as he didn't head toward the road. Well, when he was done with his walk about, he returned to the gate of his pen and waited until we let him back in. Yay for well behaved llamas!!

What happened to fall?

Flurries yesterday and flurries again today. Cold, cold, cold!!! The vet and I cancelled her visit to inventory/check my flock for the Canadian Scrapie Program and rescheduled for next Wednesday. Come rain or shine - or flurries - we HAVE to get the inventory done.

I still haven't decided which ewe lambs are staying and which are being sold. I haven't decided which ram lambs are staying, which I'm watching until larger and which are being sold. The culls will be put onto grain and in a few months will meet Bob (the butcher). So much to do and so little time.

Did I mention it is cold out??

The inside cats are NOT impressed with the white stuff. I cannot say that I do not blame them. All I wanted was just one more week. ;0)

Hopefully pictures of the lambs and decisions this weekend. Until then, paperwork needs to be done.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! mmmmmm ... Turkey!!!

Grey Ewe

This past spring I lost my beloved Beatrix to grain overload (bloat). She was a beautiful grey ewe, very shy but adorable. Today I decided to purchase a new grey ewe. Welcome to the Windy Grange Fibre Works Kallisto!

Now to go out and sort this years lambs and get better pictures posted. All this in the high winds that are being threatened by the not so beloved weathermen. Why can't they be wrong on things like high winds??? grrrr ....

Rain, rain, hot, hot ... see the crops grow!

First there was a drought. Then, it rained! and it rained and it rained and it rained ... Okay, it rained over a few weeks 3", but I cannot complain. Now it is hot, hot, hot - again, not complaining! The heat is making the crops grow AND the pastures too!

The pastures that the ewes came off of will be regrown in a few weeks!! The best part is that I have enough grass to put all my Shetlands on until the newer pastures grow back!! (yes, I told my husband he couldn't mow 1 acre of the lawn, but ... )

Last year at this time we were supplementing with hay and started full hay feeding by August 14th. I'm so hopeful that we will make it through to fall without digging into the hay. Speaking of hay, it's delivered and all but 117 bales are stacked in the hay sheds.

What a lovely site!! The ewes & lambs on new pasture!!

So, last year I purchased a Gotland/Finn/Shetland mixed lamb. By 6 months she was nearly the size of the mature Shetlands!! She's lovely and so is her fleece. So, I put my black katmoget ram on her and she had twin ewe lambs. One, a lovely black and the other black katmoget, but look at her, isn't she lovely!! I hope the colour of her fleece stays, what do you think??

Well, need to finish some portable fencing so the boys can have new pasture. Happy summer!