One left…

Well- actually 3 -but the Suffolks don’t count… I have one Jacob yearling left to shear. I had hoped to finish this weekend but time just ran out. So- once the rain is over this week and it dries out a touch, she’ll be done. I’ll probably just let the Suffolk ewe keep what’s left of her fleece (she shed some) and the wether, well, he won’t be needing his much longer. :p

The Shetland ewes have moved on to their new home. While l love their personalities, mothering skills and fleeces, they just didn’t fit into the farm plan. We’ll be sticking with the bigger sheep- Romney, Lincoln, Corriedale & Targhee cross ewes, an assortment of rams, and the Jacob flock. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s easier for us to manage the larger sheep than the small ones. Sydney is almost 6’ tall, so the short sheep are really hard for her to handle.

We’re hoping to get a shelter up for the winter. The tent-type shelter we tried last year didn’t make it through the wind storms last spring and we’ve gotten a preview this weekend of what’s to come. Don't you just love stormy skies?

So, after taking care of the fencing and feed bills, it’s on to a shelter. I don’t need anything fancy- just something to block the wind and keep the snow & rain off the sheep. We were given the name of someone who builds nice shelters and sheds for a reasonable price- so I can’t wait to call!

Almost done….

I’m almost done shearing for 2009. It’s only mid September and I’m finally catching up. Every year I say I’m going to get started sooner, and every year I get behind for one reason or another. Next year I’m thinking of hiring someone to do the “bigguns” early- the Targhee ladies would do well with an early cut. And I’m sure the Romney’s will do well too. That will give them some regrow time before fair.

We’re ordering coats for the sheep for the winter. I’ve put it off for a couple years just because there are other things that need to be done. But having coats will make the fleeces cleaner and easier to shear. Plus, as we are going to similar sized sheep, we’ll need fewer sizes.

We’re going to end up with sheep remotely related to each other: Romney, Corriedale, Lincoln, BFL, the Targhee girls and the Jacob flock. We like the fleeces and temperaments of these breeds. They are good mothers and very hardy.