Some of the boys that are available for flock sires...

First of all, I apologize for the long absence.  Little 'Half-pint' died after four days and it was very hard on me.  He was such a little fighter.  So tiny though.   You should have seen the joy radiate from Princess & Rocky when they were finally turned out with the rest of the flock and could run and jump and play.  Even I had to smile.

Thanks to my niece, Brandi, I was able to catch a ride to Georgia and spent a week with my Beautiful Baby Girl!  THAT was just what the doctor ordered... 
On the other hand, Princess finally had her lamb and it is a beautiful, moorit, ewe lamb.  Name yet to be determined ~ any suggestions???

She's certainly not a ram lamb but Princess's little girl is for sale!

Kiss is being a wonderful mom to her remaining ram lamb,  Rocky, who is growing like a weed.

"On the Rocks" is a nicely put together, very flashy (and arrogant!) HST ram lamb shown here at 2 weeks of age.  He has very widely spaced horns and his topline is super level.   His legs are squarely set, tail is a correct Shetland tail and his fleece is soft and very uniform with a moderate crimp throughout.

Another gorgeous ram lamb that is looking for his own harem is:

"Bluff Country Bacardi"

Like his sire (Bluff Country Polar Bear), Bacardi just keeps getting better and better!  A triplet (Destiny x Polar Bear), Bacardi is one of the largest lambs here, yet he is very refined and elegant looking! 

Bacardi's brother (shown with their sister, Karma), "Angus" is a jaw droppingly gorgeous, black ram lamb.

Such a "Macho Man Ram"!

Unfortunately, he is not easy to get decent pictures of!

You really have to see this guy in person to appreciate his awesome conformation and fleece.  He is stunning.

If you've been waiting for an HST ram lamb with fine, crimpy fleece, wait no more!

Bluff Country Jim Beam is a moorit & white, HST ram lamb with lovely, uniform, crimpy fleece from neck to tail!

JB's horns look awesome and his confirmation is flock sire quality.   I will try to get more full body shots of this guy ~ he's a bit of a velcro-boy with his twin sister, Brandy.   Brandy is sold.

Not looking for a moorit HST? 

How about SHAELA ?

"Bluff Country Jack Daniels"

(Dazzle x Echo)

Twin to Captain Morgan (mioget HST)

Not the best photos, but JD is definitely someone to consider if you like the idea of modified colors and HST.  He appears to have aberrant horns and has bumped one horn slightly back.  It may very well break off at some point. 

(Captain Morgan is sold and will be leading the good life as flock sire in Arizona!)

Don't forget that the sire to most of this year's lambs is also for sale:

"Bluff Country Polar Bear"

(Bluff Country Angel *white* x B.C.  Echo *black & white, HST)

Solid color rams (and ewes) are $300

HST rams are $400

save $100 when you purchase 2 rams!

DREAM says...

 

As if the HEAT wasn't enough...

Wouldn't you know it?

Record high temperatures and the humidity so high it's stifling.  My last year of lambing in the Bluff Country.  I shouldn't complain.  I've had a pretty good run of it.   Never had a ewe reject a lamb.

Until now...

Kiss is a one year old ~ first time Mom who lambed sometime during the night or early morning on Sunday night/Monday morning.  I almost didn't even notice because I've quit even checking the girls since most of them are done lambing and the babies are half grown!

I was out working on some fencing, late yesterday morning when I heard a very soft "mewing?" sound.  Upon closer inspection, I found it was a new born lamb (cleaned off and had nursed, judging by the round belly) in the RAM barn with the big boys!  I don't know how he (moorit/smirslet) got into the ram pen.  The only thing that I could figure was that he managed to sneak under the fence.  He is EXTREMELY tiny.  The smallest lamb ever born in the Bluff Country.

To whom did he belong??? 

Princess had looked like she could lamb any day.  Her baby/s have obviously 'dropped'.  Kiss wasn't far behind and Chance & Dream are taking their good old time with their precious bundles.

Princess & Chance were up by the big barn.  I tried introducing them both to the little guy.  No interest and both were quite clean & tidy on the back end.  So, up into the big pasture I trudged.  Carrying this adorable, teeny-tiny, itty-bitty lamb.  A bunch of the girls were gathered around the big tree.  When I got close, I saw Kiss with a flashy, black & white, HST lamb.  Could she have had TWINS?  Apparently so.

Unfortunately, Kiss had all but forgotten about "Half-Pint" and was quite content to mother his big brother:  "On the Rocks" (Rocky).  I finally had to carry Rocky back to the barn/jug to get Kiss in there.  Did I mention that it's almost 100 degrees with dripping  humidity?

Once safely in the jug, I reintroduced Half-Pint to his Mother and his Brother.  Let's just say that Kiss was less than impressed.

While she chortled sweet nothings and gently nuzzled Rocky ~ who is a typical sized Shetland ~

when poor little HP got close, Kiss would grunt and push him away.  She wasn't particularly aggressive (at first) but wouldn't let him nurse.

The poor little guy needed to nurse so:

I tied the B*** up!

(did I mention it's mighty hot & humid?)

I should mention that I tried holding Kiss, pinned against the wall, for a few attempts, before resorting to tying her, but my arm was getting pretty beat up and I couldn't see through the sweat flowing freely into my eyes, so tying seemed like a reasonable compromise.

Although, Kiss didn't seem to think so. 

 It helped if I kept Rocky up by her head.  No problem!  I can hold an angry ewe who's tied to the wall and guide her hapless newborn to the milk bar, while strategically positioning  her big, bruising OTHER newborn to stay up by Mom's head and let his brother nurse for once.  With one arm. 

Half-Pint is so tiny that he can STAND, completely under Kiss (who is a fairly small ewe ~ being only a yearling) and still has to look up to nurse!

I go into the jug with the three of them, about once an hour and untie Kiss, but keep her on the halter.  That way, if she shows any aggression toward Half Pint, I can 'correct' her.  It seems to be working fairly well.  I even brought Kiss and her boys outside for a while this afternoon.  She enjoyed the grass and the boys got to stretch their legs.  Kiss still has to be watched carefully to make sure she doesn't get too rough with Half Pint.  She is standing better to let him nurse. 

I sure hope this works itself out FAST....

God, it's Hot.



Silent Sunday...Thank God because I don't have time to write anything!

When One Door Closes...

Another one always opens.

Does it break my heart to sell  my beautiful flock of Shetland sheep?

You BET it does!

Is it easy for me to leave my beautiful valley and give up the lifestyle and the animals that I've grown to love and have given me such joy over the years?

Hell no!

("Bluff Country Destiny" and four of her offspring)

Many of my sheep have spent their whole lives here.  It tears my heart out to think about sending them on to new homes.

The one thing that makes it bearable is the knowledge that my girls are all going to be with sheep they've grown up with.  My ewes are going in three main groups.  So, no one will be the 'lone newcomer' in a flock.  Some are rejoining others that left last year or the year before, but all will be with other Bluff Country Shetlands.

Best of all...

Dream,

Zaria

and Alice...

Will all be together and CLOSE by because my dear friend, Jean, has purchased all three of them so that they remain together and I will be able to visit them as often as I want!  I don't think I could have done this otherwise!

SO...

My house/farm is for sale.  My flock is all but sold.  I'm actually looking forward  to moving back into town and being close to my kids and grand kids again!  I'm going to go watch baseball games, and track meets and karate practice ~ not to mention daily walks with my handsome son and beautiful Princesss!  I can't imagine what it will be like to not have to work my butt off, from the time I get up in the morning, until I fall asleep, exhausted, at night.  But I'm gonna find out!

DREAM says:

"Mom's wonderful sister, Penny, has been SO much help in taking care of Mom and of us, while Mom was sick.  Now, she's putting on a fund raiser to help Mom get money to help pay for fixing up the house and moving!  Since Mom was sick, she didn't qualify for unemployment and things are mighty tight around here!  If you like Pampered Chef (what ever THAT is!) stuff, check out this link:   BLUFF COUNTRY FUNDRAISER .  If that link doesn't work, try this:  http://www.pamperedchef.biz/goodcooking4u?page=host-search-results&showId=3150795

Bluff Country Shetlands is the 'organization' and Mom gets 25% (cash) of all sales!  If someone would like to donate, but doesn't want to buy anything, they can send cash donations to:

Bluff Country Fundraiser

Nancy Krohn

 %Eastwood Bank 

 108 E Cedar St,

 Houston, MN 55943

In memo please put Bluff Country fundraiser

"Mom feels kind of silly posting a link to a fundraiser for herself, but Penny said that Mom should "Just shut up and do it!"

The link will also be in the sidebar of this blog...



The Next Chapter...

"Mom says I shouldn't call this "The Rest of the Story" because that implies that the story ends here."

The story, most definitely, does not end here.

"You may not recognize me, because I'm wearing a disguise, but this is Dream talking..."

Sable demonstrating "no eye contact" as she reassures Tanqueray that she's no threat.

Tanqueray brings in reinforcements, none-the-less!

"I know that this might be a shock to you because it sure was to me! 

Mom has decided to sell the place. "

"It's one of the hardest things that she's ever had to do and she sure does cry a lot, but Mom really believes that it will be the right thing for ALL of us.  I'm not so sure!  I kind of like my little buddy, Jack Daniels, following me around.  Mom says he has to be sold, anyway, because he's a boy, so I guess that's not a good excuse..."

"Isn't he handsome?  Jack Daniels and the rest of the rams & ram lambs are all for sale.  If you're interested, call Mom because they're gonna go FAST !"

I have several people interested in rams and/or ram lambs but they haven't decided on which ones yet.  All of the boys will be for sale, on a first come - first served basis, with the exception of Dom Perignon and Hero, who are already sold.

Jack Daniels ~ moorit/HST

Captain Morgan

(mioget/HST)

Tanqueray

Captain Morgan and Jack Daniels (black & white, HST)

Bacardi

"Now the hard part..."

"Since Mom won't be living in the Bluff Country anymore, there's really no reason for us GIRLS to stay.  So, Mom found new, "forever" homes for us."

This is the reason I haven't been posting recently.  I didn't know how to say it.  It hurt too badly to put it down in black and white (or whatever color the type shows up on my blog!).  I know that there is no way that I can continue to run Bluff Country Shetlands by myself.  I'm too far from family to have on-going help with my animals or the care and upkeep of the buildings and the property.   Recent health crises have forced me to face the fact that I can no longer do this by myself.  

So, the property will be sold.  I hope to have it sold by the end of July.  Of course, that means that ALL of my sheep and chickens must find new homes as well.  The pigs have already been sold.

ALL of the ewe lambs are sold with the exception of "Tequila".  She's a beauty, so I know that we won't have trouble finding a loving home for her.  There are still three ewes left to lamb (Chance, Kiss & Promiss), so more lambs may be available soon!

Tequila:  Godiva (mioget) X Polar Bear (white, carries HST)

THE GOOD NEWS:

(Yes, there really IS some!)

DREAM says...

"Don't WORRY! 

 I'll fill you in, tomorrow, on all the exciting things that Mom's got going. 

It WILL be good!"