NH Homesteader's journal

[tortoise]

Oh? I'm interested now! We have a stand of birch trees!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'll find info later, headed for post hospital checkup at pediatrician's office.

DH finally said how he really feels, and he really does not want wooly sheep. He does all the heavy lifting and pays the bills... So ... katahdins it is! Not this year, but eventually.

 

[baymule]

I love my easy keep hair sheep!

 

[NH Homesteader]

@tortoise

https://wildfoodism.com/2014/10/28/is-this-chaga-a-key-for-identifying-this-remarkable-fungus/amp/

 

[tortoise]

What does your DH have against wool sheep?

You may need to acquire an angora or pygora goat!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You may need to acquire an angora or pygora goat!

Now that might just be the answer! You already have goats so you wouldn't have to change your care program or worry about copper. Hmmmmmm. I've seen some pretty cute pygoras!

 

[NH Homesteader]

The mess, mostly. Dealing with the wool in general. I can get fiber products pretty cheaply, I know people lol. Plus DD's class will be extended next year so if she's in class every week I won't need to do it at home. I don't have time to get into it myself.

So he doesn't want fiber goats either!

We want sheep for meat also...

 

[tortoise]

Yeah, sheep can get nasty looking on the topside of their wool! (But it's really no "mess").

Now if you were planning to shear them yourself, that can be a nightmare!!! Definitely worth $5 to get a pro to do it. My shearer retired! I found a new one that does small flocks, but he does them early. Our barn is not tight enough and our bedding is not deep enough to shear sheep in February! And the shearer travels to shear market lambs in April (when we like ours done). I reeeeeaally don't wanna shear again this year. I can't use pro shearing equipment, so it's slow. And stinky. And dirty.

Confession: I've only kept one fleece ever to be processed. . We have/had burdock in our pastures, so the first few years we didn't have any decent fleeces.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I do have someone who would do it for me, she's learning how (with shears) and wants to practice and not on her sheep because she makes money with hers, lol.

My goodness, one fleece?? Haha

My husband wants to learn how to tan, so he'd use the katahdins we butcher for that also... Would work out well.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Pediatrician said we nearly ended up being moved to ICU this weekend. Baby will slowly get better over the next month (!!) and I need to really keep her from getting a cold in that timet She said most babies get ear infections from this but her ears look lovely. She said now is a good time to be a hermit! Lol