Archives for spring

Cormo Triplets

April 2, 2010 | 10 Comments

A very early start to my day. Verbena delivered healthy triplets just before dawn, a pair of rams and a ewe. They arrived hungry, talking and were quickly on their feet. Verbena is one of my all-stars, taking everything in stride. Thank you for your concern for Galveston. Her eyes looked brighter this morning and she picked at the hay I offered on my way out of the barn. I know I have a contest winner to announce a little later today, after I've had a little rest. Please check back in a bit. copyright 2010. Barbara Parry. All
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Lamb Birthing Video

March 31, 2010 | 19 Comments

I happened to have my camcorder handy yesterday for the arrival of Calypso's second lamb. She had dropped the first lamb by the time I got to the barn. The title of this post says it all. If you're squeamish about such things (or if you have little ones reading along with you), you might skip the video and come back tomorrow. It was a very calm birth with an experienced ewe. I stopped filming to help the lamb toward the end (didn't want him to inhale fluid) but then it resumes with the lambs in the pen with their
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Today’s Lambs

March 30, 2010 | 8 Comments

Calypso surprised me with twins today – I wasn't expecting her to be next! Desdemona ("Desi" for short) and her brother Didot arrived late this afternoon. Lambs learn to do so many things quickly, it always amazes me how fast they learn to use their legs, to orient themselves, to find mom's udder, to suckle. No wonder they're completely exhausted, collapsed in a woolly heap. While the storm raged outside, all is cozy in the barn. I'm a little run down from being up at all hours, so I'm turning in early too. Wishing a good night to all.
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Sunday’s Lambs

March 28, 2010 | 18 Comments

Kodiak's twins arrived just after breakfast. A really good sized ewe – 11 lbs. and a 10 lb. ram lamb. Their names are Cambria and Corbel (we'll move on the font names beginning with the letter "d" for the next set of lambs). We think Galveston may be next up to bat. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy some more shots from this morning's chores. Holly, showing Kodiak's lambs (in their Gumby-green sweaters) where we keep the milk. Charlemagne (Aberdeen's ram lamb), chillin' under the heat lamp. He is the spitting image of his dad, Teaberry. Bonding time:
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Lambslide!

March 27, 2010 | 20 Comments

Busy day. More lambs to deliver before I could put away my delivery kit. Aberdeen birthed a pair of ram lambs mid afternoon. We're certainly off to a lively start! Aberdeen is one stompy little mother, defiantly stamping her hoof at anyone who gets close to her pen. She had to put up with me while I administered iodine to umbilical cords, stripped the waxy plugs from her teats to open up the plumbing. Then I weighed her boys (8 lb. 9 oz and 9 lbs. 10 oz.) using a hand-held fishing scale with a special lamb sling attached. Crackerjack
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Lamb Watch

March 25, 2010 | 9 Comments

Got back to the farm just before 1 a.m. this morning after my presentation last night for an enthusiastic group of fiberists - the Boston Area Spinners & Dyers guild. Many thanks to them for asking me to share my slideshow and dyeing techniques – and also thanks to everyone here who wished me well. Although I the guild co-chair Carol (also a shepherd expecting lambs anytime now) offered to put me up for the night, I was anxious to get home to my own barn should anything happen. Holly reported that two ewes were behaving suspiciously at dinnertime. I went directly
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Spring at Springdelle Farm

March 21, 2010 | 15 Comments

Hard to believe that just three weeks ago we were buried with two feet of snow. Winter made a mellow exit this weekend here in New England. Spring's arrival today capped a stretch of blissful warmth and sunshine. All creatures appear to be celebrating the change in season, though we're due for grey skies and cooler days for the start of this week. The sheep enjoying a quiet morning in the pasture. Neighbor's ducks, grateful for the spring melt. Red-winged blackbirds, epaulets in full display, atop each tree. The farm is ringing their calls along with the cries of the
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Ewe Tube

March 6, 2010 | 5 Comments

The t.v. in the bedroom is tuned to barn cam 1 most of the time now, which gives me this view of the flock. I looked up from my reading last night to spy on the girls, occasionally toggling over to camera 2. Would you believe, Crackerjack now sleeps across the barn threshold as if to say, "no one gets by me!" At one point I saw his head go straight up with his ears alert, pointing down toward the dell. Then I heard the coyotes yipping in the distance. He caught it first. Good llama. There were no picky
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