Tonight I broke a cardinal rule of farming. There really aren’t too many of them. It’s not like there’s a published rule book for farming mojo. At least not one that I’ve ever seen. So I guess I could say that I broke the cardinal rule of farming. I had the audacity to think to …
As I mentioned in my previous post, Charlotte finally had her lamb, a little ewe. She’s being a good mama to her and keeping her pretty protected so I was only able to get a few shots of her last night when she wasn’t basically a shadow behind a pillar or a bin. She’s a …
Yesterday was a long day that actually started the night before. Well, if I’m being completely honest, it started last year at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. David Kier, a professional shearer, was there doing demos and my friend Kendra started talking to him. It is not an unusual thing for Kendra to start …
I sneak into the sheep pen every morning hoping to not disturb the flock. The time before everyone has gotten-up and started their day is when I can get the best overview of how everyone is doing. Ewes and lambs that are contentedly snoozing or chewing cud are a sign of all being well. Lambs …
Nearly done. I have one last lady, Charlotte, to lamb still and then lambing 2018 is in the books. On Monday, my smallest ewe Eva gave birth to a healthy little ram lamb. He was a little surprising, despite the tendency for rams to be white this year. As his mama is all black… Still, …
Over the weekend, four more lambs were born. First it was twins from Fanny with a ewe/ram pair that were both white! Yay! The little ram is spotted and the ewe is almost entirely white. I had been a little disappointed by the fact that all my girls had been, up to this point, born …
I had a meeting for the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival in Ames and I didn’t get home until after dark last night. So it was with a headlamp that I greeted this little guy. I’m sure that he now thinks that I am some sort of God. Or Iron Man. Or a bizarre cyclops. …
Currently I am feeling much like Captain Kirk in the famous Star Trek episode where the cute and cuddly tribbles overrun the Starship Enterprise. I have lots and lots of cute and cuddly, and they are everywhere. Lambs can easily fit between the bars of the cattle panels that I use for the sheep pen, …
Twenty. Twenty lambs out of twelve ewes. That’s a 166.7% lambing average. Which is phenomenal for me. Last night it was Hettie having a set of ewe/ram-dark/white twins. They are healthy and happy and as my dad likes to say, “Goers”. This morning it was Diana’s turn to have her first lamb, a very healthy …
On Friday evening Deb had a wonderful single ram lamb. Now, I typically withhold judgement about lambs born until they are a little, or a lot, larger. But I have to say that this little guy looks amazing. And before people start asking why I say this, it’s because he has a super uniform fleece, …
Sarah Jane Humke 