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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Sheep and Goats  |
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 09 2011 : 10:03:30 AM
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I know I have a lot to catch up on, so forgive me if I miss anyone!
Sarita and Angie CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Evan is absolutely beautiful!
Sarita, Congratulations of 4 new lambs!
Michele, Congrats on the calf!
Rae, Congrats on the new heifers!!!
Grace, Hope all of the new babies are doing well and I pray that you have the most wonderful Birthday tomorrow!
Sheri, I hope you weather warms up! It has been very cold here lately! It was only 42 yesterday! We were in the 80's earlier this week! Hope you have a great day shearing and at the shower!
Lori, Congrats on the new lamb!
Monica
farmgirls rule!
www.justducky48.etsy.com
www.justducky48.blogspot.com
www.heroesandink.blogspot.com
www.duckystreasurechest.etsy.com
www.justducky48.com |
Edited by - oldfashioned girl on Apr 09 2011 10:07:05 AM |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2011 : 3:47:18 PM
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oh grace thank you for your answer. it will come in very handy..... so, do you make your own special soap ?? I use dawn on my merino wool to help take out the lanolin....
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1497 Posts
Rae
MN
1497 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2011 : 6:37:07 PM
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What a day!! Started off getting stuck in the mud on the driveway. It is really really bad this year. Need a good T storm with good ole lighting to break up the rest of the frost so it can dry up!! Will try get some rocks in there tomorrow 
We will breed the girls maybe this summer and go on from there. Eventually will put some in my freezer as well as build up enough to sell meat. Have had a number of people tell me they will buy meat from us soon as we get it going. For the moment they are sharing the sheep yard and all are getting along. At first the cows were scared of the sheep  and the sheep aren't too sure. They look at each other a lot but don't hurt each other and even eat on each others hay piles so.... This is not permanent but works really good for right now. Heifers really not a lot taller than Sampson.
Hope all of you take a rest. Congrats to anyone I missed!
Rae
Farm Girl #647
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 06:37:22 AM
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Rae, how old are the heifers now? I will have my sheep and cows together some too. I want to start rotating the pastures. Have the cows go first, then the sheep, then get meat birds in a chicken tractor and pull them along after the sheep. I think that's how Joel Salatin does it. He just keeps his cows in a small pasture for a few days, then moves them out. You should check out his books. Very smart fella. But fencing ain't cheap. Electric is not too much so might go that way.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Christy
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Christy
Manhattan
Kansas
46 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 1:46:03 PM
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| We are wanting to get started with Kiko goats. Does anyone raise them or have any for sale? I'm in Manhattan, KS. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4108 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4108 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 3:42:12 PM
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Belated Birthday Grace, hope you had a great day.
Good luck Rae with the heifers. Will you be AIing or getting a bull?
Hi Monica and Christy.
We hit 73 here today. wow Mud season is in full force. What a mess it makes everything.
Milking might be getting a bit better, but not much. I have not been hit yet, so that is good. My helper got it tonight twice. Eddie is losing patience with haveing to be out there every milking to hold up her tail. She kicked and her foot went through the pipes, hitting Eddie once on the thigh, and once on the foot. He He I told him what you standing so close for. This heifer has to be about the worst I have ever worked with. Sheep on the other hand are doing good, and ready for a haircut.
Michele |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1497 Posts
Rae
MN
1497 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 6:17:49 PM
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Kris the heifers are 10 mos.
Michele not sure yet. We have a neighbor who has said we may use his bull if we want. The guy we bought them from does AI so will see closer to that time what we feel is best for our girls. The bull isn't real big which is what we would want and is black angus so...
Tired out, hauled rock all day to try get road passable finally put down some 3/4 inch osb board we had and drove cars halfway down and that is where they will stay until it dries up. The spot has never given us trouble but with the rain and quick freeze we had in the fall  
Rae
Farm Girl #647
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 6:18:44 PM
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Hi everyone, I am so far behind...waiting on my new grandson to get here, lambing and calving has filled my time. We had three sets of twins last night. That makes us 30 lambs so far and we are 1/2 done now. The older little black lambs and Bonnie blue jump and run around. I love it in Spring when the lambs run and play.
Rae, we don't breed our hefers until they are over a year old- 1 1/2 years old. How old are your new girls? My Sugar cow had her first little girl at 9 years of age. I have thought my Blackberry cow would calf for the last 3 days.
Michele, do you have kickers for that cow? did you get bad weather today?
Happy Birthday Grace, hope you had a good day.
Brenda, how are your beautiful babies. Anymore? I think we lucked out today and avoided the bad weather that we were to get.
Monica, are you still spinning?
Lori, how is lambing going?
Kristin, I would love to be able to rotate pastures like you want to do but I know we have a lot of fences to build and lots of dollars to spend to get there. I do not have luck with electric wiring fences. the wool acts as insulators and the sheep go through fences. I have not purchased the woven electric fences yet. I am still weighing cost verus permanet woven wire fences.
Christy, I am going to need to look up that breed of goats.
Evan and Ang got to come home today. when I talked to Angie earlier, Wayne's mother was holding him...I just wish she could remember all the memories of him and be able to really enjoy him. I can't wait to get my hands on him.
We went to Home Depot yesterday and purchased a new refrigerator. We were planning on just getting a plain freg with water and ice maker side by side but ended up getting a larger one with French door and freezer in the bottom so after we get home, we had measured width but not height and found out that our old freig is about 5 inches shorter and that Danny is going to need to take out the upper cabinet and shorten it for the new one to be able to fit. He is also going to need to run water over to the new freig...delivery takes place next Thursday.
I ordered some more new dyes, now just finding time to dye some fiber.
Sheri, how did shearing go? How long is it before your new baby gets here? I bet you are tired today after the busy day you had yesterday.
Lori, are
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
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Sheep Mom 2
True Blue Farmgirl
1534 Posts
Sheri
Elk
WA
USA
1534 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2011 : 7:40:31 PM
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Shearing went well - the shearer showed up about a half hour early so he caught me not quite ready but all went well. My poor sheep are a bit chilly as today it clouded up again with wind and we are supposed to get more rain tonight. I hope they have enough sense to get out of the rain. Right now they are yelling at me from afar as they are still mad at me for penning them up over night. They are so used to having all 6 acres to roam around on and right now it is beginning to green up.
The baby shower was a lot of fun and a good turn out. She got everything anyone could possible need and more. Little Aydon James Gardner Chin is due on May 22nd. We are all so excited. It will be interesting to see what he looks like and how much of the Asian will come out in him as my kids are half Chinese. My daughter looks very Asian and my son not as much although he looks more and more like his Dad the older he gets. My best friend sent a wonderful shower gift (at least it was for me) - she sent a toy my father had made for my son when he was little (he made lots of wooden pull toys) that had been passed on to her kids when they were little with a wonderful letter about how this little duck was lonely to come back home to it's original home for a new one to make it happy. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house...full circle moment to be sure. I am sure tired today though - what a run around week it was.
Congrats on all the new babies - I hope they are all doing well (human, sheep, goat and cow....) Hope everyone had a great weekend. Glad Angie and Evan got to come home today.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2011 : 06:57:24 AM
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Congrats to all of you on all the births.
Sarita and Angie, what a beautiful baby! You are blessed!
All my kids are doing great.We built two new stalls for goats. It will make my life so much easier.
I am milking three times a day and getting a half gal. at each milking. Now that is with my hard to milk doe, she is so hard but we are getting there.
All the kids are now on bottles. It is a hard and time consuming, but I get more milk and I also like how friendly all the kids are.
Michele, We breed our heifers at one year old.
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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Sheep Mom 2
True Blue Farmgirl
1534 Posts
Sheri
Elk
WA
USA
1534 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2011 : 07:32:51 AM
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Good morning. I saw on the news this morning about the string of tornados that went through Wisconsin and the midwest this weekend. I was thinking of you Michele and Rae - did any of that come close to you? I hope and pray that all is well with everyone and that the severe weather missed everyone.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2011 : 10:57:06 AM
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Wow, Sheri. What a neat gift to receive!
Happy Late Birthday, Grace! Yesterday was my wonderful MIL's birthday, too!
I put pics of the new babies on the blog. We had our first set of twins born to Big Mama on Saturday morning, then a darling baby boy born to Nellie Saturday afternoon just as we were leaving for Ethan's trap practice. I think we have a little more than a dozen ewes left to go. Not one of the Shetlands have turned loose of a baby yet.
Gotta go comb more wool!
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4108 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4108 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2011 : 4:26:56 PM
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Hi all,
no storms here. We were right on the edge, as the dark clouds and the blue sky met just above our place. We got very little rain, and that was it. It was all south of us, by about 60 miles. Sarita, we never used a kicker, as my dad would not have one on the place. If a cow was that bad she got shipped. My husband would like to get on though. She is a bit better today. Though we did put a rope behind her front legs, and tightened it if she kicked. She didn't care for it, but kept on eating her grain. And she also stood fairly nice. I really don't remember ever having a cow this bad. Yicks. Rae, I breed so they calve at about 2 years of age.
Hope all the lambing is going well. Hope little Evan is a happy baby, and momma can get some rest.
Michele |
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Sheep Mom 2
True Blue Farmgirl
1534 Posts
Sheri
Elk
WA
USA
1534 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2011 : 7:48:31 PM
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I'm glad to hear the storms missed you, Michele.
My friend is having a hip replacement tomorrow morning at 9:30 after months of horrible pain - could you all please keep Doris in your prayers that the surgery goes well with no complications? She is in her mid 70's but is an exceedingly independent woman and was an organic horticulturist before it was in vogue to be one. She was one of those that plowed the road for the rest of us and developed a lot of the growing methods we all take for granted. She is also the lady that gifted me my greenhouse. Thank you all.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran |
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 06:27:11 AM
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I will pray for Doris right now. What a role model!
We had our first Shetland babies last night. Twin boys. At 6:30 Princess was jockeying for position at the feed trough, by 7:30 she had popped them out and nearly had them cleaned up. My mom is on her way out this morning to "play" with lambs and fiber. :)
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 12:36:51 PM
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Sheri, Doris will be in our prayers. She sounds like a very neat gal.
We had another calf this morning but no lambs during the night. It is like they come in 3s or 4s and then give us a rest.
Ang is trying to adjust to being a new mother. Nursing is going well, but she worries about him getting choked on that mucus that they spit up after birth. They also have her mil and cousin in the home that requires much assist...their plates are full and both Ang and Wayne are such loving and caring people. Ang was over whelmed last night so I ask that you continue to keep her in your prayers. Ang says that Evan loves to eat and that he is a good baby...I just can't wait to hold and cuddle him.
My oldest grandson has a track meet today at 4 and he asked me to come...so I am headed to a track meet unless we have a ewe looking like she will be lambing.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
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Cavalli Runner
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Brenda
Mercer
MO
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 04:38:53 AM
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Sheri, said a few prayers for Doris. Please let us know how it goes with her.
Happy belated birthday, Grace. I've been seeing your blog and keeping up with all your fun finding all those treasures!
My youngest son who lives a couple of hours away came up yesterday with his family. This was our first chance to see our newest grandchild (baby boy, Ayden, born last month). He looks a lot like his daddy, with his dimples and dady's and greandpa's cleft chin! He was a cutie pie. And little Abbygail got to see the lambs, feed chickens with grandpa, and go fishin for the first time (she's almost two). We had a very nice day.
Now, we're just waiting for more lambs to be born. I guess Solomon needed a break after the first two!
Greg has worked hard to get the rotation paddocks ready and we will be starting them in those by Monday I'd say (just letting the grass get a little longer). The electronet fencing has been worth every penny, but it will be nice not to have to use it very often from here on out. I'm sure there will still be times it will come in handy, but at least we won't need to be constantly moving it around anymore.
It was in the 80's last weekend, and they're calling for possible snow next week! It's like we're getting all four seasons in one month! LOL!
Happy Middle of the week, every one.
Happy Farming!
Brenda Larson
You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.
http://cavallirunfarm.blogspot.com/ |
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Old Spirit
True Blue Farmgirl
1497 Posts
Rae
MN
1497 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 08:02:32 AM
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Prayers for Doris, hopefully will relieve a lot of pain for her. Please put my cousin, Kristi in your prayers tomorrow afternoon. Her ex is trying to get the kids more and he just does this to be mean. He was very abusive and every time she gets stronger he tries to hurt her.
Thank you
Rae
Farm Girl #647
...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:...
Isaiah 40:31
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Sheep Mom 2
True Blue Farmgirl
1534 Posts
Sheri
Elk
WA
USA
1534 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 09:46:22 AM
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Good morning all. So far so good - Doris came through the surgery okay (whew) but now has a long road to re-hab. Her son called me yesterday to give me the update. Hopefully I will be able to talk to her today. If all goes well she should be home by Friday. I will be going over to help her take care of plants/animals etc. until she can do it herself. Thank you so much for your prayers. She is one of my oldest friends here (30 years). I hope and pray that this will finally solve her intense pain issues. I will keep you all posted. I will include Kristi in my prayers - custody issues can be so devastating when they become power struggles.
We are still in the rain/wind weather pattern - poor sheep. Naked and down in the 20's!! I feel like spring will never get going even though things are beginning to green up. No wool washing for me until these temps moderate.
Sounds like you are getting a real mixed bag of temps too, Brenda. Any more lambs?
Have a great day everyone.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 07:30:25 AM
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I can't believe it we got rain last night - a down pour for about 2 hours and this morning snowed a bit... I am still pryaing for more moisture because we are so far behind on it. The surprise goat babies are doing great and Goldie finally got on the blog. I can not seem to get Mishka's to be still long enough to get a clear picture but will be working on it.
I am thrilled that your friend is out of surgery and on her way to recovery and rehab... Sheri I am having to wait to shear with our weather too - nights we still get about 1 inch of ice made in the buckets so fiber stays on. Not like I do not have fleece still to go thru.
Lori how are the Shetland babies doing. A large breeding friend in Texas who raises Shetlands just started with her flock - she has over 200 ewes. During this time she hires folks to assist. Wished we hade that type of labor force here...
Hope everyone has a great day - I hope to get to the carding machine. The dye pots have been going since 6 am this morning, hands are too stiff to spin this morning..
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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lsarah
True Blue Farmgirl
256 Posts
Lori
Greenwood
Arkansas
USA
256 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 3:27:32 PM
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Been busy here! I am spinning away, trying to make sure I have plenty of variety for the craft fair in 3 weeks. Why does it seem like you can never get enough done?
We had a little Cotswold cross girl this afternoon. I say little, but she is pretty big - as big as some of the lambs that are several days old. I put more about her on my blog. All of the rest of the babies are doing great. Only 14 more ewes to go.
I also bought a vintage spinning wheel, and there are pics of it on the blog, too. I just love it! It will be easy to take to shows with me, unlike the heavy spinolution wheel.
I took a tumble in the Dollar General parking lot this afternoon. Nothing like falling flat on your back in public to humble a person. A few scrapes, but mostly a wounded pride, is all that I ended up with.
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Sheep and Goats |
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All Things Sheep and Goats
