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2009 PHOTOS (Click to view 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 , 2007, 2008 photos) |
White
Cameo and natural-colored Ashley
October
23, 2009
Warm
days and cold nights signal the arrival of
fall.
Summer's
nearly over now, and the hint of fall is in the
air.
The
sheep and calves live together harmoniously
Three
ewes at the water trough. Norma checks me
out
Summer
arrived even later than usual this year, and
when it did, it was suddenly HOT! Today it's about
90 degrees A
wether lamb
After
such a long winter, the fresh green summer grass is
enough to lure the beef calves and
horses
March 14
and March 21, 2009 Due
to popular demand, this year I added a second
session of my annual Hands-On Lambing Schools. Both
days sold out, and I was delighted to meet so many
folks interested in learning how to raise my
favorite farm animals! Here are some photos of the
two days, contributed by participants. I'm always
too busy to take pics during workshops, so thanks
to everybody who sent in theirs! Bottle
Lineup. Everybody took a turn at feeding the
bottle lambs, always a popular activity during
Lambing School! This
little guy couldn't wait for his
turn! Lamb
cuddling is encouraged throughout the day . .
. The
shepherdess demonstrates how a lamb literally
"dives" out feet and nose first during a typical
delivery Careful,
lamb cuddling can cause the giggles . .
. Afternoon
bottle feeding chores . . . Participant
prepares to "process" a newborn lamb. When each
lamb is between 12 and 24 hours old, I band its
tail, install an ear tag, castrate most of the
boys, and record all of the details in my Lambing
Book. "Banding"
the lamb's tail with a very small rubber
band. Over the course of about two weeks, the tail
will wither and fall off. Giving
the lamb an identifying ear tag. It's a good
idea to tag (or tattoo) every lamb in the flock
with a unique number. The
shepherdess checks on a ewe (far left) who's
about to go into labor during the March 7
workshop. Participants
examine a freshly shorn fleece in the
SkyLines wool house. More
lamb cuddling. Beware -this can inspire a
meditative state . . .
March
2009 This
year, all five SkyLines Great Pyrenees Livestock
Guardian Dogs (LGDs) are spending lambing season in
the barn area Romney-Montadale
ewe Beverly and her young Louise
is one of the last three ewes waiting to deliver,
and it looks like she may be brooding triplets
again this year!
January
11, 2009
Every
day or so during the winter, the SkyLines Farm
sheep travel from their wooded winter pastures
(upper right in pic) into the barnyard for a drink
of water, an occasional snack of alfalfa hay, and
access to their mineral supplements (commercial
sheep minerals plus organic kelp and DE). After
getting their fill they head back out to the woods,
where several 850-lb bales of mixed-grass hay are
always available. Like
most farm animals in snow country, given a choice
the SkyLines Farm sheep would spend the snowy
winter months lounging in or very close to the warm
and cozy barn. Their daily exercise regimen would
consist of walking a mere 50 feet or so down a
snow-packed trail they had made that loops back to
the barn again. Not at SkyLines Farm! I've
always placed water and minerals a good hike away
from summer pastures and winter feeding areas. I'm
convinced this daily exercise program is an
integral part of why the flock remains so superbly
healthy, year-round and year after year. It just
makes sense!
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