Breeding Time

Sushi and Tsunami sport their green butts

Since last post the rains have come along with some warmth and sun.  Enough to green up the pastures a bit and give the sheep something to forage.  We just completed our breeding (that must sound really weird to those not accustomed to "farm talk") and the ram and ewe groups are now settled into the long wait until lambs come.  That will be the last couple weeks of March. 

We bred 8 ewes, 6 Shetlands and the 2 Gotland girls.  The Gotties got to go on a little road trip down to Ronan Country Fibers near Grants Pass to meet a nice man.  I'm not sure they liked it all that much but they did come back with nice green bottoms!  (for those of you who wonder what that means....the ram is painted on the chest before breeding, when he mounts the ewe it leaves a nice mark so we know whether they have bred or not.  Ewes conveniently do not breed unless they are cycling). 

Strudel, Rachel and Rhapsodie

Jasper and Dover were the lucky Shetland boys this year.  Jasper takes his job very seriously and works his girls until they finally give in.  Here are his girls wondering why I put them in this pen with this strange guy with horns that keep sticking out his tongue at them.  "Would you please get us out of here, now!"

Jasper at work

Dover here chose to run his poor girls until they were completely out of breath.  After a couple hours they finally settled down and ate a nice meal together.  Dover is only a lamb but obviously didn't need any training to know what he was suppose to do.  We are hoping to getting some little gulmoget babies out of him with his soft, fine, lovely moorit color.





And now the wait begins!