Sheep Gal Blog | Foxfire Fiber & Designs

A Bedroom Lamb

April 12, 2010 | 26 Comments

Helena's lambs arrived just after midnight, a ewe-ling followed by a ram. I didn't hear or see the ewe-ling' arrival; looked like she had just dropped when I heard a sound that woke me (over the baby monitor). She never made it onto her feet before getting the shivers, so badly that I ended up bringing her inside with me for the night. Her brother is doing fine but I still can't get this little ewe to latch onto her mom or even onto a bottle. We're keeping her going with stomach tubing at the moment. She's here with me in the living room at the moment since Helena isn't keen to take her back. I know there's a cardinal rule of shepherds about bringing lambs into the house – one I manage to break each year at the height of the season when a lamb is weak and chilled and I know it won't survive the night outdoors, and I need just a little sleep (please!). We'll see how it goes.

Papaya delivered a ram lamb just after dinner last night. For a yearling first-time mom, she deserves a gold star. Her udder is gorgeous: tight, good teat placement and tons of colostrum. She's brilliant and I'm so grateful for that at the moment.

More later. Hold a good thought for this little gal.

Categories: animals/wildlife, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: bottle lambs, lambs, and orphan lambs.

Sunday’s Lambs

April 11, 2010 | 13 Comments

Found this lovely raft of Cormo lambs in the center pen today. All Teaberry lambs – big eyes, pink noses.They've begun to fill out, loosing that loose-skinned newborn look. We've got them ear tagged so we can keep track of who belongs to whom. With so many mothers and lambs bouncing around the mixing pen it's pretty hard to tell them apart.

The lambs have started forming their own little pack, often sleeping together in piles while the mothers are at the feeder. I'll be sending them out to romp in the yard soon, maybe even early this week if it stays mild. I'll be sure to have the video camera handy for that. We've got a little more field work to do before placing the sheep on pasture but the grass is greening nicely. Won't be long now.

I'm still waiting on six or seven ewes yet to deliver. We're having a bit of lamb-lag, its seems. Stay tuned, and I promise to keep you posted.

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: cormo sheep, lambs, and spring.

Morning Chores!

April 10, 2010 | 9 Comments

I've worked up quite an appetite before breakfast. Helped the guys stack 2 tons of straw that arrived first thing. Gorgeous, clean, honey golden bedding for my lambs. We go through at least 4 tons of it in a year. You should see the size of my compost pile.

Crazy windy here today, feels just like March. All the windows are closed up to keep the barn warm. Holly spread extra straw while she cleaned pens today. Everyone looks content. I can't say how much I appreciate Holly's help at this time of year, when I have so many demands on my energy and time. The barn is immaculate and she has her finger right on the pulse of the flock. She cares about the sheep as much as Mike and I do and tends to them as if they are her own. We love you, Holly!

Euphemia and Franklin found a cozy corner in the sun for a morning nap. I love the way twins are so bonded to one another and often sleep with bodies intertwined, as they were in the womb, I imagine.

Thanks for the great names for the lambs – had no idea there were so many good ones beginning with the letter "J". Thinking about using Jacoby, Jasper, Johnston, Janson, Jasmine and Jelly Bean, but haven't sorted it out yet. My brain's fuzzy from lack of sleep. At least no one lambed last night and I do hope they hold off today since it's so darn cold.

Categories: animals/wildlife and fiber farm.
Tags: fiber farm, lambs, morning chores, and straw.

More lambs, More Giveaways, Another Winner

April 9, 2010 | 115 Comments

The lambs are loving their new creep pen. I thought you might like to see them having fun in their new giant play pen, complete with toys. And food. In the background a lamb is entering through a slot the creep panel from the adjacent pen where we keep the mothers. I love watching them explore for the first time. At first they're hesitant and spooked by a new place. And then they let loose and start bouncing around. Party time.

The green ball is for the boys to practice head butting. Quite rammy for such a young age. See that ram lamb giving the ball the evil eye?

One curious observation, now that we've had our third set of Chai lambs. They are all born with brown noses and brown skin pigment under their white wool (except for the black ewe lamb, Euphemia). The Teaberry lambs have pink noses or sometimes pink with black freckles. The one below, right, is Franklin with the characteristic Chai face.

So far the brown wool coloration has eluded us but if you see a lamb with a brown nose, you'll know who the dad is. How funny that Stella's lambs born yesterday are both white yet she is black and Chai is a moorit. Color genetics are such a crapshoot.

Ursa still hasn't lambed but last evening her sister Star delivered a pair, one ewe, one ram. Once again,

1 black ewe + 1 moorit brown ram = 2 white lambs.

I loved reading your comments last week. Lambing season can feel isolating. Mike and I haven't been out in weeks (well, I guess that's not true if you count Easter brunch). But I do miss contact with the outside world. So thanks for stopping in and saying hello.

I also loved your ideas for last weeks big prize – 5 skeins of my hand-dyed Cormo Alpaca Lace yarn. I have my own winter share – still undecided about what to make, though Marnie MacLean's designs are speaking to me. I am also checking out some of your leads.

The lucky winner of last week's giveaway is Laura B! Congrats Laura – and I hope we get to see Damask by Alison Green Will when you finish it.

Time for a New Contest-Giveaway

Since lambing and spring is a time when nature re-creates itself, this week's giveaway celebrates creativity. In that spirit I'll be drawing names for 3 very special prizes:

Prize Numero Uno – An author signed copy of Amanda Blake Soule's latest book: HandMade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures (Trumpeter Books/ Shambhala Publications 2009). This is Amanda's second book full of inspiring ways to up-cycle found materials. Amanda's first: The Creative Family celebrates ways to bring craft and simple creative activities into the life of a young family. If you've never seen her blog, Soule Mama, go check it out. She's a great photographer and the shots of her kids and dogs are priceless.

Amanda is working on a third book for release in 2011. How a mother of 4 who home-schools, crafts, and blogs finds time and energy to crank out three books is one of the wonders of the universe.

Prize Numero Dos – 2 skeins of Cormo Alpaca Lace from my personal stash in a not-likely to be repeated hand painted colorway (since I was playing at the time and don't remember how I did this). I came across these beauties when I was re-arranging stash. One of my winter dye-day projects. I love these colors, a melding of smokey plums, violets and intense blues.

Prize Numero Tres – A set of little lamb notecards featuring the adorable lambs of my farm!

To enter for a chance to win one of this week's 3 prizes, leave a comment here on this post. Tell about your own creative endeavor either past or ongoing.

One entry per person please. I'll draw 3 names from the list of commenters to this post by midnight on Thursday, April 15. On Friday, April 16 I'll announce three lucky winners. Be sure to include your email address in the space where it asks for it on the post, so I can reach you.

Time for bite for breakfast then heading out to check on Star and her new lambs. I'm way behind in the naming department with three sets of twins to name. We're up to the letter "J". If you have suggestions, let me hear! (Remember our theme is fonts/typeface styles.)

Happy Friday.

(edited to fix link)

Categories: animals/wildlife, Books, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: Amanda Blake Soule, contest, giveway, Hand Made Home, lambs, and spring.

Morning Chores!

April 8, 2010 | 12 Comments

It's not every day that starts with a lamb looking up your nightie.

Holly was here early for morning chores. I'm suppose to get a little more rest this way. But when I can hear the sounds of morning chores over the baby monitor – feeding sheep and cleaning pens – it's hard to stay in bed even though I could use the rest. I went over in my nightie just to say hi and see if anything was cooking. But then I started seeing all the little tasks we could get done really quickly if we did them together.

We moved Calypso and her lambs and Pansy and her lambs from the jugs to the big "mixing pen". Then we put coats on Pansy and Galveston and lead Galveston from her "hospital pen" back to the flock (boy, she was happy to make that move!).

We checked eyelids on one of Cassandra's lambs to make sure they weren't rolling inward and scratching the cornea.

And then, while Holly cleaned lambing jugs, I set up a giant creep pen for the older lambs. A creep is a spacious area of the barn accessed only by lambs through a special panel. The lambs can "creep" through but the moms can't. It becomes a favorite hangout for the lambs once they realize they can find their own grain and hay in little feeders – their very own buffet. They love it. Drives the moms nuts. They know there's food in there. If they could get to it, it would be gone in a flash, they're such hoovers!

After I set up the creep, I went back and fed Verbena's triplets some milk. Poor Verbena is trying to feed three on half an udder. Andy checked it out last night. It seems she had some hardening of the udder – possibly leftover from nursing last year's triplets. The right side just isn't producing. And you should see the three of them fighting over one teat. So we're helping them along and Verbena is a good mom. Doing what she can.

Holly had to leave – she works another job all day. But as I finished up bottling the lambs (above and below, and sorry for the lousy photos taken with iphone), I realized how much I'd got done in my nightie on half a cup of coffee.

BTW Ursa is still a mile wide, no lambs in sight. Maybe today will be her turn.

(edited to fix spelling, after a second cup of coffee)

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: bottle lambs, creep pen, lambs, and spring.

Tipping point

April 7, 2010 | 9 Comments

We crossed the half way mark today with two sets of twins arriving within an hour of each other bringing the lamb count to 22 (11 ewes and 11 rams). I'm so grateful for Holly being here to help. While she worked with Pheonix and her twin ewe lambs, I assisted Stella and her ewe and ram lamb (above). This is Stella's first time. We had to help with delivering the ewe lambs who was huge – 12 lbs!

From the looks of things at the moment, I'll have a busy night in the barn. Ursa is pawing the straw and grunting. She's enormous with lambs and for her sake I hope she does deliver. With the tropical weather we're having (above 80 today and 50's at night) there's no need for sweaters or hot boxes for the lambs. Will keep you posted, so stay tuned.

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: lambing, sheep farm, and spring.

A Safe Berth

April 6, 2010 | 13 Comments

Spied this in the barn yesterday. Cassandra and one of her triplets in a moment of perfect contentment. (But I do need to get a coat back on that momma.)

Quiet night – no new arrivals. Please spread the word about this week's big giveaway and I'll announce a winner on Friday.

Categories: animals/wildlife, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: ewe, lamb, and spring.

On the lamb front

April 5, 2010 | 25 Comments

Just a quick post to bring you up to date. Cassandra delivered triplets Saturday – our second set back to back. Harrington, Herculana, and Helvetica are doing quite well. They join Verbena's trio, Georgia, Garamond and Gigi, pictured above. We now officially have a triplet ward set up in the southeast corner of the barn. We have to feed the triplet moms differently than the rest, so it's actually easier if there's a couple of sets of three. They are cutest group in the barn at the moment.

Yesterday Pansy delivered a ram and a ewe lamb (Jazz and Lucida) bringing the lamb count to 18 out of 8 ewes. I'm guessing we're about half way there. With storm clouds filling the afternoon sky, I hope the lambs hold off now until morning. Will keep you posted.

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: lambs and spring.

Easter Visit

April 4, 2010 | 14 Comments

Sending wishes for a happy Easter & happy spring.

Hand-crafted bunny by Elizabeth Radysh.

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, knitting, and sheep.
Tags: Easter, lambs, and spring.

This Week’s Winner – New Giveaway!

April 2, 2010 | 161 Comments

Meet Verbena's little ewe-ling. That's what we're calling her for the moment, since she's only hours old and I haven't chosen a "font" themed name for her or for two brothers just yet. We're up to the letter "G". Let's see . . . . Garamond, Georgia, Gloucester. Or maybe we should move on to "H"??

I've drawn a winner from the commenters on last week's giveaway. SusanSW is the lucky recipient of a Sheep Shares spring yarn share and a copy of Gail Callahan's Dyeing book! Thank you, Susan, and everyone who commented last week.

Today kicks off another week of celebrating new-ness and all things spring with another giveaway!

In that spirit I'd like to say hat's off to Julia, Kate, Irene and Mary of Twist Collective – the fab online knitting magazine and design showcase. The spring issue just went live. It's full of amazing patterns begging to be added to your queue.

One of my favorites is this pullover by Marnie MacLean. "Cecchetti" is perfect spring evenings or summer days at the seashore. In fact, the gauge would be just right for my Foxfire Fiber Cormo Alpaca Lace yarn (shown above in Lavender Buds) spun from the wool of my flock combined with locally raised alpaca fiber.

This weeks prize is a whopping 5 skeins of this yarn, enough to make Marnie's lovely sweater (you can purchase and download the pattern at Twist Collective). Or you can check out some recent projects on my Ravelry group: Foxfire Fiber Friends. This yarn is also great for shawls – many Sheep Shares members can attest to that. What's really special about this yarn is you can no longer buy it. It was our winter share for 2009 and until I produce more, this is it.

Do you want it?

Thought so.

To be entered in this drawing I'll keep it simple this week:

– Leave a comment here, to this post. What would you make if you won 1200 yards of hand dyed Cormo Alpaca fingering weight yarn?

Details: There's a place for your email address when you post a comment – I need that to tell you if you win. (You don't need to mention your email address in the body of the comment itself). Taking entries up until 11 pm on Thursday, April 8. I will randomly draw a name from commenters and post a winner here on this blog on Friday, April 9th (and then will announce the giveaway for the coming week).

Thanks for visiting, always good to hear from you!

One more thing:

If you'd like to read about lambing at my farm in an earlier year, click here for the story I wrote for Twist Collective's spring '09 issue.

(edited to fix link)

Categories: animals/wildlife, Craft, fiber farm, Handspinning, and knitting.
Tags: contest, cormo alpaca yarn, cormo yarn, Foxfire Fiber, giveway, lambing, Twist Collective, and yarn.

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