baymule
Sustainability Master
Even when you don't feel well, you get so much accomplished. Boi is coming along, he will be a great help to you.
Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #1,842
tortoise
Wild Hare
We dropped off 11 lambs and my bad ram at auction today! 
Relief! I can walk freely in my barn and pastures now. 3 lambs to butcher and 4 ewe lambs to grain feed and tame.
We had a good year. Only lost ONE lamb, due to a complication of castration. We had preemie triplets, two orphaned, and one of the orphans got a broken femur hours after birth from the ewe stepping on it. Those three all survived! Did not expect it. Productivity was 2.7 lambs per ewe. Not bad at all!
We purchased a hay rake, sickle, and baler this year. With these tools we can make hay off the pasture, cut feed costs, and grow our flock a little. We made hay once to test the equipment - enough hay I could hold back 4 ewe lambs.
We bought 200 bales of hay so we are unlikely to break even this year. After next year we should break even and maybe some extra. We're satisfied with breaking even because raising sheep keeps our property tax low. (Taxed as agriculture rather than recreational)
DH wants to buy land that's up for auction about a mile down the road. We'll see how that pans out. It would be a good property for us. Crop rent, hunting lease. Could improve it and sell for home building sites. The property has beautiful views. I could see us building a home there someday. An almost off grid tiny-ish house with windows. Lots of windows! Maybe a guest cottage/she shed?
Relief! I can walk freely in my barn and pastures now. 3 lambs to butcher and 4 ewe lambs to grain feed and tame. We had a good year. Only lost ONE lamb, due to a complication of castration. We had preemie triplets, two orphaned, and one of the orphans got a broken femur hours after birth from the ewe stepping on it. Those three all survived! Did not expect it. Productivity was 2.7 lambs per ewe. Not bad at all!
We purchased a hay rake, sickle, and baler this year. With these tools we can make hay off the pasture, cut feed costs, and grow our flock a little. We made hay once to test the equipment - enough hay I could hold back 4 ewe lambs.
We bought 200 bales of hay so we are unlikely to break even this year. After next year we should break even and maybe some extra. We're satisfied with breaking even because raising sheep keeps our property tax low. (Taxed as agriculture rather than recreational)
DH wants to buy land that's up for auction about a mile down the road. We'll see how that pans out. It would be a good property for us. Crop rent, hunting lease. Could improve it and sell for home building sites. The property has beautiful views. I could see us building a home there someday. An almost off grid tiny-ish house with windows. Lots of windows! Maybe a guest cottage/she shed?
baymule
Sustainability Master
Congratulations on the lamb crop! What breed of ram will you get next?
Making hay! Another congratulations on the hay!
Making hay! Another congratulations on the hay!
- Thread starter
- #1,844
tortoise
Wild Hare
Of the 2 rams we've had, the half Ile de France produced larger lambs. One of my ewes that has more Ile de France (maybe 1/4, shes still very mixed) is my fattest ewe, produces triplets and maintains body condition, and shearer said her wool was best in my flock. So I'm thinking to get purebred Ile de France for the next ram.
I'm also about ready to sell them all and get hair sheep!
Only thing stopping me is emotional attachment to my pet ewes 
baymule
Sustainability Master
I do love my hair sheep, specifically Katahdins. I thought I wanted Dorpers, but the rams were RAMS. Since we have granddaughters that love the sheep, that was a no-go. Thus the switch to a Katahdin ram. I will be culling my mixed Dorper/Katahdin ewes real hard next year. Right now, I'm planning on keeping 4, maybe 5 out of 12 ewes. They will go to auction when the lambs go. Then I will replace them with quality registered Katahdin ewes-as many as my money will allow.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Is the udder staying? Miranda, I think.
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
...
I'm also about ready to sell them all and get hair sheep!
aww...
baymule
Sustainability Master
Yes, Miranda LAMBert, will stay. Ewenique will also stay. Both are my original ewes, we bought 4. One had to be put down because of a ruptured pre pubic tendon. Lady Baa Baa unfortunately is on the cull list. She didn't lamb last year and I put her with Ringo twice, for months. We'll see what happens this year, but I don't have much faith in her lambing.
Domino had twins last night. She is on the cull list because she is short coupled and small. She had a ram and ewe.
- Thread starter
- #1,849
tortoise
Wild Hare
DH moved the ram today. He busted a gate, ripped down a post!!!! And breeding season officially began today. 
We prefer to lamb in April, but it will be mid-March 2021.
I had a better day. I'm using data from a fitness tracker that measures heart rate variability to learn pace myself.
I was able to train dogs today. Boi is reviewing sit, down, stay, come for his Canine Good Citizen test in a couple weeks. His former family trained them, and while theyre average for a family pet puppy, they need repetition to hold up under distracting testing conditions. He is also making progress on targeting and crawling under my knees, which is a foundation behavior for one of his service dog tasks. I'm starting to feel able to play tug and fetch with him outside off leaah. He doesnt have recall training, but thankfully he isnt the type to run off.
Lamb shanks with roasted veggies (frisee, celery, onion) for supper. I wanted to add fennel but my pan wasnt big enough.
DS13 is growing. Oh my!!! I measured him for new pants, and within a week of getting them he grew an inch! I bought new shoes too, and theyre already too snug. Send help.
We prefer to lamb in April, but it will be mid-March 2021.I had a better day. I'm using data from a fitness tracker that measures heart rate variability to learn pace myself.
I was able to train dogs today.
Boi is reviewing sit, down, stay, come for his Canine Good Citizen test in a couple weeks. His former family trained them, and while theyre average for a family pet puppy, they need repetition to hold up under distracting testing conditions. He is also making progress on targeting and crawling under my knees, which is a foundation behavior for one of his service dog tasks. I'm starting to feel able to play tug and fetch with him outside off leaah. He doesnt have recall training, but thankfully he isnt the type to run off.Lamb shanks with roasted veggies (frisee, celery, onion) for supper. I wanted to add fennel but my pan wasnt big enough.
DS13 is growing. Oh my!!! I measured him for new pants, and within a week of getting them he grew an inch! I bought new shoes too, and theyre already too snug. Send help.
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Bad, bad ram! But, sounds like he got his way, lol!DH moved the ram today. He busted a gate, ripped down a post!!!! And breeding season officially began today.
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