In spite of the gorgeous, Indian Summer weather, my rams (and ewes!) sense changes in the air. Of course, it doesn't help that Alice stands by the fence, batting her eyelashes and wagging her tail at the boys!
I keep an empty paddock and at least two fence lines between the boys and the girls. The fact is, Bling and Night will probably not have the opportunity to "get to know any of the girls" this year. Unless someone wants to LEASE one of them...
I haven't decided if I will use Moon this year either. I'm only breeding 3 girls and I'm leaning toward using Hunter with them. It would make my life much easier if I only have one breeding group, a bachelor group and an unbred ewe group. I've still got a couple of weeks to decide. I don't put my breeding groups together until Thanksgiving weekend. 
"Mom said I've earned a rest this year. She said I deserve it because I had twins my first year and triplets my second. I guess I'll be in charge of keeping an eye on all of the ewe lambs and keeping them out of trouble!"ANGEL says...
"You mean like PICKER BUSHES???"Dreamer will have her work cut out for her!
I hope that little tyke is tame enuf to let you sit and cut all those burrs out of her wool. What a mess!
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to take your boys to the auction - I always cry when they leave, but I have to just remember that we gave them a very good life while they were here, and some of them have ended up as lawn mowers instead of lamb chops, so sometimes things work out OK.
T.
Ugh...I have pickers in all my ewes...they all decided to get out the other day, and got into the burrdocks. Naugties...But yes, our boys are getting rammy too, and wanting to get to know the girls. I'm waiting til at least Thanksgiving, if not beginning of December. Don't like the idea of having frozen babies! :(
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the pickers are just in the front of her fleece (and, obviously on her head!). I let the girls into my neighbor's yard (they've moved) to trim the lawn for them. They managed to clean out the thistle bushes around the garage too...
ReplyDeleteI heard mineral oil will let you slide them right out, maybe on the yahoo group? I have bought some but have not tried it yet. How do they seem to find them. I had missed one in with the boys and it looked like Cooper tackled the thing! I had put my breeding groups together two weeks ago, and not one Shetland has come into season yet so the boys are not missing anything. My ram had gone "looking" for the ewes because my big Corrie was very ready. She chased him around for two days relentlessly, it was hysterical. My Cheviot also came in already too, so now everyone has settled down and are just hanging out until the Shetlands are ready.
ReplyDeleteNancy is that Hunter, the big guy above Dreams picture? Who is the other ram in the same picture? I have always had one ram at a time. I keep the wethers between the ram and the ewes not being bred. Not enough room here and I'm getting to old to chase foolish young rams all winter! A few of my ewes have come into heat so far.
ReplyDeleteActually, Hunter is the smaller of the two rams. He's mioget & white (HST) and the big guy is Crescent Moon (moorit & white, Hst). Both of the rams have very correct conformation (and tiny, fluke shaped tails, not to mention VERY soft fleece ~ which is why I bought them) but Hunter is just maturing into such a magnificent ram that I think I'm going to use him a lot. I'll probably sell Moon next year. He's gorgeous, but I don't like how close his horns spiral.
ReplyDeleteI like Hunter I would vote for him.
ReplyDeleteVote! this upcoming election has me ringy.
Dear Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI have just "discovered" your blog (from Handprepared Fibers). Wow, I think I'm in love...with your incredible, gorgeous Shetlands, that is! I have *never* in my life seen such beautiful sheep as yours. I so badly want a Shetland or two of my own. ::sigh:: City-living just totally stinks. I am going to 'follow' your blog just so I can keep track of your beauties - lol.
Beautiful photos of beautiful sheep!
ReplyDeleteAngel is adorable, picker bush and all.
Thankfully my wooly boys haven't ran into any picker bushes, though the Angoras look as if they laid down and rolled in them.
Ha! poor angel, she does still look pretty, depsite the pickers. How did she manage to do that!?
ReplyDeleteHa! poor angel, she does still look pretty, depsite the pickers. How did she manage to do that!?
ReplyDeleteIs "picker" a Minnesota word???? I have never heard them called that
ReplyDelete:D.
I thought you had Bling sold?
Gee ~ I don't know if Picker IS a Minnesota (or at least, Midwest) word! I've just always referred to those 'picky' things that stick to your pants, or hurt like hell when you step on them with bare feet, "pickers". There are LOTS of different kinds of "pickers"...sandburrs (those are little round pickers that REALLY hurt when you step on them), thislet, nettles (I guess those have pickers on their leaves, more than having actual pickers, those deep red "picker bushes" that have sharp thorns ~ my sheep love to EAT them ~ that always amazes me...
ReplyDeleteI guess, now that I think about it, I pretty much call anything with sharp points that grows on a plant and sticks to me or hurts when I step on it, "pickers"...
;-)