Archives for sheep farm

Winner Lamb Count Give-Away & Sheep Shares

May 2, 2011 | 9 Comments

Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts about what makes this time of year special for you. Congrats go to RichelleCK who commented on 4/22. Richelle, you're the winner of our drawing for 4 skeins of Cormo Silk Alpaca yarn in the color "Bluebird" in celebration of our new lambs. Spring is now in full throttle here on Patten Hill. The trees are leafing at last and the pastures are greening. It's truly a welcome sight but it means we are extra busy setting up fences for grazing and hoses for watering sheep in the field. At the same time
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Easter Morning – lamb video

April 24, 2011 | 6 Comments

Yesterday brought an inch of snow and a steady patter of sleet. The sheep huddled in their sheds. The lambs and mommas stayed indoors. The finches, chickadees, juncos and sparrows fought duked it out over the feeders. Today: a glorious sunrise over the trees that haven't yet leafed but have a fuzzy red halo of new buds. The snow has vanished except for a few freckles here and there in the pasture. The sheep are content lounging in the field. It is a perfect Easter morning. I'm wishing everyone a happy holiday and sharing a video clip from earlier this
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Lamb Count & Special Give-Away!

April 20, 2011 | 104 Comments

We are resting after a very busy weekend. The rest of our ewes have lambed out. I'm not completely surprised. The action was sporadic this year and I suspected that our last momma's would birth in sync with the full moon. The last lamb born, Crispin, is snuggling here with his mom, Java. Our final tally this year is 13 lambs: 6 rams, 7 ewes. Part of what I love most about the end of birthing time is the sense of relief that all lambs have made it safely into the world. This year I'm blessed with ewes who are
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Lamb Antics

April 14, 2011 | 14 Comments

Yesterday brought four new arrivals – and one unwelcome guest. After the exciting entrance of Donatella's twin ewe-lings, Java quietly delivered a sweet ram lamb while I was at dinner. I found him resting in the straw beside her. After ushering them into a lambing jug she delivered a second sturdy ram lamb. I don't have pics to post yet, but please join me in welcoming our new apples: Braeburn & Baldwin. While all eyes were on the barn yesterday, our bird feeders at home were attacked by a bear. Tree limbs ripped from trees. Feeders in pieces on the
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Donatella’s Lamb Birthing – video

April 13, 2011 | 12 Comments

I shot this with my iPhone (that's why the image is the size of postage stamp, sorry 'bout that) shortly after my last post. Donatella did a beautiful job of birthing her first lambs – a super-cute pair of ewe-lings! Help us welcome our newest apples: Gala and Paula Red. Donatella and her lambs are doing well. For a friendly ewe she has turned into quite the fierce mother. She didn't want me or Holly anywhere near her lambs. I have a nice bruise on my hand to prove it. This video shows Gala's first words (she's actually having a
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Sunday’s Lambs

April 10, 2011 | 7 Comments

We have a new set of twins! Meet Jonathan and Pink Lady. Bailey delivered them at dinnertime last night. These are Bailey's first lambs and also the very first lambs out of our black fine-wool ram, Cinder. We had hoped for a Moorit lamb (brown like momma) out of this crossing. PInk Lady has one little spot of brown on her back, but that's it. We love her pink little nose. Bailey has a beautiful udder and (so far) gets a gold star for mothering skills. Happy Sunday to all.
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It’s a Girl!

March 31, 2011 | 23 Comments

I guess it's true. March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Our first arrived late today, a single ewe-lamb born to Chloe, a first time mother. Mike discovered our newcomer when he went to the barn for evening chores. A hefty lamb, she was cleaned up, on her feet and nursing when I arrived. It looks like this little gal may have company before the night is over, so I'm off to get some rest, just in case I'm called to the barn again. Just wanted to quickly share our exciting news! Crackerjack (below) inspects
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Llama Lure

March 14, 2011 | 9 Comments

Before lambing season sweeps in and captures everyone's attention, I thought you might like a visit from some of our non-gestating critters. Sol llama lives with last year's lambs. Each day we work with him on the same basic lesson: people are ok. It's taking lots of patience and incentives. At first he wouldn't come near us, even though a grain pan is mighty tempting. It drove the lambs nuts that he didn't want it and they couldn't have it. They still swarm around my legs like agitated bees. But now he easily comes within arm's length and sometimes even
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Poll Time – Help Us Name the Lambs!

March 10, 2011 | 4 Comments

Despite the emergence buckets on the sugar maples, the landscape in western Massachusetts still reads "winter". The snow cover is measurable in feet. Just two days ago the entire woodland was spectacularly sheathed in ice. A trip to the barn calls for hat, gloves, insulated boots and a heavy parka. So it's a little hard to fathom that within three weeks we'll be welcoming newborn lamb here at Springdelle Farm. It's the surest sign of spring's arrival. I am up to my eyeballs in fresh fleece and we have another round of shearing yet to go before the lambs make their
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Shearing Sheep

March 1, 2011 | 12 Comments

Yarn starts here! Our shearer, Andy Rice, arrived yesterday for the first rite of new year: the de-fleecing of the pregnant ewes, rams and wethers. I'm behind in all areas but wanted to share a few moments from the day. Crackerjack and ewes in the holding pen. He is now stationed with the mothers where he will serve as lamb nanny when lambs begin arriving in three weeks. The ewes find his presence calming, reassuring. Cognac, a moorit ewe, waits her turn in the holding pen. (BTW), The girls were all very well behaved. The boys were a mighty hand
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