SageHill
Herd Master
Congrats! Triplets! Bottle baby - sigh - but beats the alternative. Besides - sooo cute when they're little and then ....... follow you around 
SA Farm's journal
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SA Farm
Herd Master
That would be ideal for long term inside living. This little guy has moved out to the brooder shed with a heat lamp so he can stay warm and poop and pee as much as he likes. I have to keep all bottle babies out of the house since I can’t sleep hearing and worrying about them
I weighed them today since I was wondering if Sock was even over 2lbs. Turns out he’s a whopping 3.38lbs! Holy tiny lamb, Batman! It’s actually worse than that since I don’t subtract the weight of the sling, so probably closer to right on 3lbs.
Baymule
Herd Master
I put bottle babies in a dog crate and use adult incontinance pads. Haven’t had but a few.
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SA Farm
Herd Master
Dobby’s chunky ewe lamb is old enough that she’s taking all my milk. Milk I now need for Sock, so she’s getting time outs at night now lol
Dobby doesn’t seem to mind. This is her the first morning after as well as the milk she gave ❤
Not a bad looking udder for a first freshener imo. Definitely bigger than her mom, so that’s good.
The man of the hour, who will soon be less manly.
Yeah, I took off his sock now that he’s stable.
Been doing a lot of thinking about my flock and their performances. A few will be culled this year, I’m afraid. I wish I had the money and space to keep them as pets for myself, but I don’t. Doll and her family will hopefully find pet homes. The boys will be banded in a few days (only waiting since they’re so tiny) and will either go as pets/companions or end up in freezer camp.
Foxy will also go this year.
Doll just struck out between the ring womb, the partial prolapse, and a few other more minor things that weren’t enough on their own to put her on the list. Enough of her problems are genetic that her lambs aren’t keeping/breeding quality either unfortunately.
Foxy has only made it this far on temperament and nostalgia, but she’s had too many problems as well.
I’m sad, but I know I have to do what’s best for my flock and the future. Keeping only the best of my best and culling the rest 🥺
Dobby doesn’t seem to mind. This is her the first morning after as well as the milk she gave ❤
Not a bad looking udder for a first freshener imo. Definitely bigger than her mom, so that’s good.
The man of the hour, who will soon be less manly.
Yeah, I took off his sock now that he’s stable.
Been doing a lot of thinking about my flock and their performances. A few will be culled this year, I’m afraid. I wish I had the money and space to keep them as pets for myself, but I don’t. Doll and her family will hopefully find pet homes. The boys will be banded in a few days (only waiting since they’re so tiny) and will either go as pets/companions or end up in freezer camp.
Foxy will also go this year.
Doll just struck out between the ring womb, the partial prolapse, and a few other more minor things that weren’t enough on their own to put her on the list. Enough of her problems are genetic that her lambs aren’t keeping/breeding quality either unfortunately.
Foxy has only made it this far on temperament and nostalgia, but she’s had too many problems as well.
I’m sad, but I know I have to do what’s best for my flock and the future. Keeping only the best of my best and culling the rest 🥺
Baymule
Herd Master
I completely understand and feel your sadness. I’m participating in the Katahdin breed up program. Breed a registered ram to a commercial ewe, (I only keep the ewe lambs) and record the lamb as 50%. Breed that ewe to a registered ram and record the lamb as 75%. Breed that lamb to a registered ram and record that lamb as 87.5%. The third generation is eligible for full registration at 1 year old but has to pass the hair coat inspection. I now have 2 ewes at 87.5%!! Plus I’m having lots of lambs right now, second generation. This means that as I grade up to fully registered ewes, I have to let go of my first and second generation ewes. Good ewes, but I can’t keep them all!
So cull your flock, stay strong and maybe go cry out in the sheep barn a little.
So cull your flock, stay strong and maybe go cry out in the sheep barn a little.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Maybe a lot...this can be hard for selecting some of them. I'll look at my girls this month. 🥴 A few will not be an issue, a couple will be. 🥹
SageHill
Herd Master
It is tough. Some are easier to let go of than others. In all cases you know you've given them a good life with you. Can't keep them all -- just imagine that hay bill if we did!
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SA Farm
Herd Master
But I WANT to keep them all! Just kidding. Kind of. I’m practical enough to only keep the best - with very few exceptions - within my housing and space limitations. What’s really tragic is how high my hopes for Doll were. I know better than to believe that something purebred is going to be of superior quality. Most of the time, I find the opposite to be true. But I still let myself have high hopes for her.
I’m debating keeping her ewe lamb and seeing if Dingo’s genes are strong enough to fix the problems Doll has. I’ve been doing more research on the issues and…there’s a chance the lamb won’t have any of the problems or, if so, not to the degree Doll does. There’s also a chance she will.
Decisions decisions. Is it worth the gamble?
Thing is, without Doll or her progeny, all my ewes will be Coy descendants. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since she throws really nice lambs, but I like diversity.
I’ll think on it some more. Lamb cuteness in the meantime:
He’s a little mud ball here, but so stocky!
I don’t actually remember planting Kitty, but she’s a beautiful flower now lol
We had a couple of really nice warm days, but we’re expecting rain today and tomorrow, so, yesterday, we went out and picked up another fruit tree (making a little orchard of 4 - apple, peach, pear, and now a plum) and a few more berry bushes. Golden and Royal raspberries and another blackberry. I think between the bushes, trees, and grape vines, I’m pretty much done. As in don’t really need or care if we get more or not. DH was taking about putting in a few pawpaw trees, but we need to do more research and see if we can find the fruit of one to make sure they’re something we would want to eat if we do get them.
I’m debating keeping her ewe lamb and seeing if Dingo’s genes are strong enough to fix the problems Doll has. I’ve been doing more research on the issues and…there’s a chance the lamb won’t have any of the problems or, if so, not to the degree Doll does. There’s also a chance she will.
Decisions decisions. Is it worth the gamble?
Thing is, without Doll or her progeny, all my ewes will be Coy descendants. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since she throws really nice lambs, but I like diversity.
I’ll think on it some more. Lamb cuteness in the meantime:
He’s a little mud ball here, but so stocky!
I don’t actually remember planting Kitty, but she’s a beautiful flower now lol
We had a couple of really nice warm days, but we’re expecting rain today and tomorrow, so, yesterday, we went out and picked up another fruit tree (making a little orchard of 4 - apple, peach, pear, and now a plum) and a few more berry bushes. Golden and Royal raspberries and another blackberry. I think between the bushes, trees, and grape vines, I’m pretty much done. As in don’t really need or care if we get more or not. DH was taking about putting in a few pawpaw trees, but we need to do more research and see if we can find the fruit of one to make sure they’re something we would want to eat if we do get them.
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- #1,270
SA Farm
Herd Master
It’s that time of year where I let the girls out for an hour or so every day to free range and get them used to grass again.
Hoping to get at least half of them on pasture full time soon. Just need it to dry up and grow a little bit more so they don’t just turn everything into a mud pit. You can see how wet it still is from the lambs running through a puddle below lol
Hoping to get at least half of them on pasture full time soon. Just need it to dry up and grow a little bit more so they don’t just turn everything into a mud pit. You can see how wet it still is from the lambs running through a puddle below lol
