UNBelievable....

Dream didn't want to go out to the side pasture with the other ewes and lambs this morning. She kept me company as I did some work around the barn and I gave her lots of cookies because I knew she was going to need the energy.

After several hours of very mild labor (as far as I could see!), Dream got down to business. She had the first little girl (Black/Smirslet, with at least one white sock ~ things happened so quickly, I really didn't get the chance to check!) at around 9:30 this morning. VERY quickly followed by Moorit/HST girl number 2 and Black/HST BOY! BIG horn buds on that guy! It's a good thing he was born last.

I was with Dream for the delivery and saw something that I've never witnessed before. When the bag with the second lamb's nose & toes in it came out, so did a big, round, dark bag. I wasn't sure what that was. It was dark and cloudy and ROUND and I couldn't tell if it was another lamb or not! I helped slide the little girl out and cleaned the membrane off her nose while Dream proceeded to take over clean up duties. It was then that I noticed something white moving in the murky bag of fluids still outside of Dream. It was legs! I grabbed the bag and found the legs and nose and pulled the bag off the lambs face. Presto! A beautiful baby boy with big horn buds! I'm not sure if he would have survived or not had I not been there. I guess we'll never know ~ and that's all right with me.

I'm just glad that my beautiful Dreamer and all THREE of her beautiful babies are OK!!

Oh yeah, and I named one of Zodiak's triplets:

Garrett pointed out the likeness to me!


Do you see it?????


meet "BLUFF COUNTRY DEJA VU"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!

My BBG has a 'beau'. Doesn't she look happy? She's doing splendidly in the Navy and staying incredibly busy. I am SO proud of her.

I love you Katie! I hope your birthday is incredibly happy and just the beginning of a GREAT year....

Mom

My Name is "PRIMA DONNA" and I'm Staying...

The Shepherd says I've got the cutest ears she's ever seen on a newborn lamb and I get to stay! It didn't hurt than I came right up to her and love for her to scratch and rub me.

Shepherd/Mom also says I have very nice, straight legs and perfect markings and really tight, crimpy fleece so I get to grow up here with my sheep Mom and all the other beautiful sheep in the Bluff Country! I know that it's mostly because Shepherd/Mom already LOVES me. She took this picture of me, still wobbly, running up to her for loving. ;-)

Diva made me worry, but she came through! I thought sure that Dream was going to lamb last night so I got up at 4:30 in the morning to check on her. No babies from Dream but Diva was pushing everyone else's lambs away and making that 'chortling' sound that moms make to their new born lambs. Diva hadn't passed her water yet ~ at least that I could see; and her babies were still quite high (she didn't appear sunken). I was worried about a repeat of last year where she labored for 12 hours and needed help to deliver a malpresented lamb. I fretted for a while, and then came to the conclusion that there was nothing that I could do. I didn't want to attempt "going in" to check the position of the lamb when Diva wasn't even pushing yet. I can't afford to have an emergency vet call everytime Diva lambs. So, I went back to bed. Yes, I was scared. Yes, I felt guilty. And yes, I prayed. When I got up to check again, at 7:15 this morning ~ expecting the worst ~ Diva had just delivered a very goopy, moorit/smirslet lamb with one white foot. This is the first time, I've had a non-HST lamb from an HST ewe, bred to an HST ram. Actually Diva did give me one onther non-HST, but that one was a flecket. Interesting. Then again, Diva's sire is not HST ~ he's a Moorit/Krunet (Underhill Thelonius Monk). It'll be interesting to keep track of that and see if it factors in, in future breedings...



The important thing is: DIVA AND HER BABIES ARE DOING WONDERFULLY!
Did I mention that they are both GIRLS?????

;-)

And yes, I thanked "The Shepherd". Repeatedly. Enthusiastically. Sincerely. For I know that without Him, none of this would be possible.

CHANCE says...

..."I'm staying TOO!"

P.S. Dreamer's busy ~ EATING!
(Think BOYS!!!) I Can't believe I'm saying that!

It Was a Damp and Dreary Morning......

It's cold and SNOWING this morning. I worked until mid-night (volunteered for extra hours) last night and didn't get to bed until after one o'clock in the morning. Bella woke me up around 7 am because she wanted her breakfast. I figured I may as well go check on the girls and give them some hay since it was such a yucky morning. Then, I'd probably go back to bed.
NOT!
Bluff Country Zodiak (black/bleset/iset) was busy while I was sleeping!
I was stunned! All three lambs were cleaned off and had nursed! Zodiak (like all of my girls) is SUCH a great Mom!!

I gave Zodiak a ton of cookies and then dipped the babies' cords. All Three Are GIRLS!!! I could not believe it! I even checked twice!! Three little (or not so little ~ these are healthy sized triplets!) girls. TWO of whom are HSTs!

Zodiak has given me many HST lambs (she is Dream's dam) and a vast majority of them have been girls. She also appears to be heterozygous for black. Which is nice now that I've got SO many brown factored sheep!

Unlike her mom, the little black, with a splash of white on her head, girl will carry brown ~ as well as HST genetics. Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon is the proud sire of this litter group of beautiful baby girls. I'll have to think up names that combine the "Moon" aspect, as well as the "Zodiak" (I know: I like it spelled with a K) influence of both parents when I select names for these girls. Of course, the new owners will have the final say on any name choices...

DREAM says...

"Three to go!"
Not to worry ~ Dreamer got LOTS of hugs and snuggles while I was out with Zodiak and her triplets this morning. She knows she's still my special girl!

Wild and Crazy Morning In the Bluff Country...

Rosie with "FLOWER" and "THORN"

The day dawned sunny and cold. Ewes and lambs greeted the new day with their usual GUSTO (that'd be a great Lamb Name!!)

Poor DIVA!


Zaria's daughter "DEBUTANTE"


Sera's girls: "CASINO ROYALE" (Cassy) and "CHANCE".


Savannah's "SPRING" and "SUNSHINE"


Zaria with "BLING" and "DEBUTANTE"


Finding the right spot...


The beautiful, Flash Flood with her little "ANGEL"


More CHANCE


The FINAL FOUR
ZODIAK, DIVA, DILEMMA, DREAM

"What??? We're HUNGRY!"

Sorry it took me so long...

I was NOT expecting twins from Rosie! I was sitting in the paddock with the ewes and lambs, taking pictures, yesterday when I noticed that Rosie was in labor. I kept myself busy and checked on her every now and then. I've learned that my sheep do just fine and I'm less likely to 'interfere' if I don't hover. So I prepared lambing jugs and sat with Sera and her twins for a while. On one of my check-ups I found Rosie cleaning off a handsome, moorit, ram lamb. I gave her lots of cookies and just sat and watched her cleaning up her beautiful boy when I noticed a gush of water from behind her. I was puzzled ~ water breaking after the ewe has lambed??? It wasn't until Rosie turned around and I saw the view in the post from last night, that I realized she was going to have another lamb! Needless to say, I was thrilled to see the white toes and nose. ;=) That's my sign that everything is OK and I knew we were going to have some more chrome so I anxiously watched (and photographed ~ if anyone would like to see a lamb being delivered, I can email you the photos) the birth of Rosie's HSt DAUGHTER.

By the time I got all the sheep put back into the pasture by the new barn and Rosie & her twins into the jug with Sera and hers, I was exhausted! Hence the short post last night.

I got up at 5:30 this morning and made it to my three Grandson's "Goodies With Grandparents" breakfast, at their school at 7:30 this morning. I checked on the girls, before leaving this morning, and noticed that Flash Flood was in early labor. She's an experienced mom, in good health, so I left. Here's what I came home to...

Are they not BEAUTIFUL??? A boy and a girl!! OMG! I've got so many ewes and so many lambs! And it's supposed to rain and turn cold. REALLY cold again.

OK. Seven down and four to go. Here they are:

"Bluff Country Zodiak" (Dream's mom)

"Sheltering Pines Diva" (dam of Dilemma)

Diva looked like she might be in labor, earlier this evening, but was eating fine when I put the girls back in the pasture by the barn. I'll check her again before I go to bed. Diva did have a difficult delivery last year and I'll watch her closely.


"Bluff Country Dilemma". A yearling, first time mom, bred to Kimberwood Hunter.

And of course:

"Bluff Country Dream"
....."I'm tired too, Mom. It's getting mighty crowded in that new barn!"

That it is Dreamer.

The fact is: I've got too many sheep. I will be selling most of the lambs this year as well as a number of the adult ewes and rams. I want to get back down to 10 ewes. I have 14 now. Contact me if you are interested in adding Bluff Country breeding stock to your flock...

Rosie's Surprise.....

Details tomorrow. I have to go to bed! I'm getting up at 5:30 am to take my Grandsons to "Goodies With Grandparents" at school!

;-)

Please Don't Pinch Me.......I don't Want to wake up!

I have the day off work today. I was enjoying a Lazy day. Slept late. Checked the sheep this morning and was just putzing around the house. Shortly after noon, I decided to check the girls who are hanging around the barn because it's been raining all day. This is what I found...

"Little Red Oak Serendipity" (Sera) was in the jug ~ the door to it was open, I have let all the mom's and babies out of the jugs ~ with TWIN, HST, EWE LAMBS!!!!!!!! Did I mention that they are both GIRLS???

From first impressions, I would say that one is going to be Fawn and the other Moorit. I'm just Dizzy, I'm so excited! I can't begin to explain how it feels to see my breeding program coming to fruition like this! I am truly blessed.

The girls are still "goopy" but it's clear to see that they're both beauties. Their sire is "Kimberwood Hunter" (Fawn/HST). I think I'll call this little pistol "Bluff Country Take A Chance". Chance looks like she'll be Moorit/HST, but it's hard to tell with both parents modified. I love the white 'lightening bolt' on her knee!

I'm thinking this yet-to-be-named girl looks Fawn/HsT already. I'm kicking around the possibility of calling her "Bluff Country Luck Be A Lady". What do you think? Too much?

Oh MY! This is fun!

DREAM says...

"Don't forget about ME, Mom! I'm going to give you beautiful babies as well!"

I know you will Dreamer! And they will be very special, just like you!

How Could Anyone Possibly Stay Sick....

Meet "BLUFF COUNTRY BLING!" Bling is Zaria's Moorit & White/Hst ram lamb. He is stunning! And he looks like he's going to have his mom's incredible fleece! An extremely well put together ram lamb.

Bling's beautiful sister is "BLUFF COUNTRY DEBUTANTE", Black & White/Hst.

Deb's fleece looks like Velvet! Under that shiny, black softness, I can feel tight ringlet curls... She's going to be a beauty!

Zaria is being an Excellent mother and teaching her flashy babies to come to me for cookies!

Of course, then she always takes them AWAY....

It's a glorious day in the Bluff Country so I'm going out to sit with my sheep and take more pictures......

DREAM says...

"Come on out, Mom...It's beautiful out here!!"

I'm on my way, Dreamer...

The Shepherd is sick...

SO tired. It's not from lambing. I haven't even been getting up to make late night barn checks. I think I've got a 'bug'. My tummy is not good and I'm just feeling punky.

Fortunately, the ewes and lambs are all doing well. I just have to get through today and tomorrow at work and I'll have a five day break.

Zaria's Twins...

Black & white/HsT girl and Moorit & white/HSt boy!



DREAM says...

..."Mom had to go to work now!"