| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Nov 07 2008 : 07:27:08 AM
We have been having a very interesting sharing at the Stitching forum that started with my Tail Spun Yarn and has moved into all sorts of adventures into breeding, selection of genetics, fleece information and we felt that to continue the sharing it might be served more if we moved over here....
To catch up you can read "Tail Spun Anyone"? in the Stitching Forum. Please feel free to ask questions and to answer questions - we have all types of fiber animals represented here and it would be wonderful to get to know them better. I have or have had Alpaca, Llamas, Angorga and Cashmere Goats, Icelandic, Southdown, Corriedale Sheep, French Angora Rabbits, and Great Pry's (Yes, I spin dog) and have in my studio everything from plants to Yak so let get busy and talk....
PLEASE
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
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dapple Grey Lady |
Posted - Mar 18 2020 : 1:54:37 PM
What type of goats does everyone have?
I have Nubians and LaManchas.
~ Betty ~
Farmgirl Sister # 5589 |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 18 2012 : 6:15:53 PM
Kris it will be nice to be done lambing. Hopefully you had all day time babies. So far that is what I have had with calves. I hope it continues. 4 on the ground, and 5 more coming for sure. I am tired of the mud though. Rain coming in tomorrow for the next 4 days as well. Your babies sound so cute, enjoy!
Michele |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 17 2012 : 09:13:34 AM
Ok, we are done with lambs right now. I still have 1 ewe who may or may not be pregnant. If she is she will not be due for a few more months. So we have 3 ram lambs and 1 cute little ewe lamb. I will keep her. I am naming them all A names this year. So the ewe lamb is Adele. She never answers her momma. Just totally ignores her. And Leelah is frantic looking for her all the time. Silly lamb. The 1st ram lamb, which is mostly Finn and I hope to trade him for another Finn ram, is Abraham. He is a very social and independant little boy. He is all over the place and into everyone's business. Darla never seems to worry about him. The 2nd ram lamb is Gracie's. I had to call for help on him and pull him out. Took all I had. His name is Axle. He looks just like his Momma. A reddish solid color. Sticks really close to her too. Then today Fiona had her little ram lamb. A cutie. All dark brown and black legs. Why are these little rams so stinkin' cute? I am going to go out in a few minutes and check on them. I don't know if she was done yet. Probably just a single. I banded Abraham and Adele's tails since they will be around awhile. I will leave the other 2 rams alone as they will eventually be for meat. This will be hard for sure when that time comes. But that is why they are here and I know that.
I have 1 doe that will kid in a few days. Then that's all. I am just loving the little ones. I love looking outside and seeing babies hopping around and bugging the big girls. It's so cute. Just little munchkins all over. Love springtime! It's SO green out there, all over. I am so glad there is so much for them all to eat right now.
Michele, muddy here again too. We had a hail storm yesterday with rain. So we are back to mud.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 17 2012 : 05:10:49 AM
Sarita, I hope you are feeling better! Maybe consider steel roof for your house. Shingles don't last like they used to. I have 4 calves now. Thankfully they have waited until the nicer weather. They were all laying flat out enjoying the sunshine yesterday. We are in mud season here. So not alot going on. Connie is almost dry, so that will give me a couple months vacation from milking. But then I have to buy dairy at the store, yuck. Sheri and Grace hope you guys dry up some too. Kris your sure busy with babies. Lori glad your business is taking off.
I am almost done carding wool from last year. Time again to be shearing my 2 sheep. Don't know why I got so behind on getting the wool done last year. Must of just been lazy! :)
take care all
Michele |
| Keeper of the Past |
Posted - Mar 16 2012 : 04:47:40 AM
Glad to hear that you are OK Lori. Sounds like you are very busy. Happy that your fiber business is going good.
Michelle, are you getting your Spring chores done early this year? If it stays this warm, we may need to mow the grass soon!
Most of you will be done lambing before I even start this year. Danny started to work on the barn yesterday. We are still waiting on the roofing guys to get here and put a new roof on the house (from the storm last year). We loose more and more shingles and I hate to think if we get a big rain storm of the leaks upstairs and the damage that will happen.
We had a new baby calf yesterday, it was 80 degrees...didn't have to worry about him freezing!
No school today but will be very busy. We will go for lab test for me in Chillicothe (50 miles one way) early this morning and then drive 150 plus miles to Columbia for Danny's appointment. We will put over 300 miles in travel today...I am worn out just thinking about it.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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| lsarah |
Posted - Mar 14 2012 : 11:17:11 AM
Hey girls! Sheri found me on facebook, and I wanted you all to know I didn't drop off the planet, just been crazy busy. My fiber business has picked up, so I spend lots of time dyeing wool and photographing and listing on etsy - my least favorite thing to do. And we have added a few more critters to the farm, so my computer time is nearly all taken up.
Grace - that purple llama/silk roving you had in your shop almost came to live with me. That was gorgeous! Somebody bought it and saved me from myself!
We have 5 baby Boer cross goats running around in the pasture now, unfortunately, we lost three during birthing. We also adopted 5 bottle babies, 4 girls and a boy, that are Alpine goats. We will raise them up to be dairy goats. One of the little girls needs extra attention because she is a little sickly, so she is getting spoiled quickly. Our Jersey heifers also gave birth a month earlier than we expected, so we are quickly learning to milk cows. And they are learning to be milked. One has taken to it just fine, the other, not so well. She will learn with patience from us. Our chickens are giving us between 15-20 eggs a night, and we have 20 more chicks in the brooder (what were we thinking?)
The sheep are doing great. My favorite ewe is due this weekend, she is HUGE. I think (hope)she is having twins. We only bred 6 of the ewes, most of our lambs from last year are still with us, and the pasture can't hold much more. The big Wensleydale ewe that we adopted that was sooooo untrusting, now stops and expects mama to pick hay out of her wool each morning before she goes out to the daytime pasture, and most mornings won't go on out the gate until she gets her kiss on the nose. We also acquired two Icelandic/Shetland crosses and another super curly single coated Shetland ewe. She has the prettiest Shetland flece I have ever seen. I can't wait until she is sheared.
I will try and keep up a little better. I do read most of your posts, just can't find time to post myself.
~Lori
She works with eager hands...Proverbs 31:13
http://www.sarahkatefibers.etsy.com
www.sarahkatefibers.blogspot.com
www.diamondbsheepfarm.com |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 3:06:43 PM
Sarita sending healing thoughts for your kidneys - I know of this very well. I know what you are feeling about viewing the barn - it feels like you are watching a old friend... I am sure soon it will be up and running but be kind to yourself while it is being done. I also saw that you wanted those beads - just send a email with your zip code and that way I can figure the shipping costs... I am thrilled they are going to you.
My grandson and DIL was here at the farm Saturday and when I opened the car door he said "Mushy Driveway" "Grandma Grace has Mushy Driveway". He repeated that for about 10 minutes - I kept saying "Yes, Driveway Mushy" I explained to him when you have snow standing waist high and it melts you get mushy driveway. Were luck there is not a Swamp Creature living in it.. As the saying goes if it is not one thing it is another. Stay above water everyone.
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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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 3:00:41 PM
Sarita, I hope you are feeling better soon.
I think we have had enough rain for the summer but then the weather people say we still need it. When I am slipping and sliding in mud I have to disagree. But I suppose they are right. It sure is helping the garden get started though. Beets, onions, kale and spinach all coming up!
One of my 3 Katahdin ewes just had a single ewe lamb at 4 this afternoon! I had to help pull her out she was having such a hard time and it had been awhile since her water broke. I was getting a little worried. Why are sheep so silly? They were all out in the other pasture and I saw them all standing around Leelah and then saw all the stuff hanging out. They were butting her and pushing on her. So I got them all back over to the barn and got Leelah in the stall. I have pallets up in there so she can see out and they could see in. But she kept pushing for a long time. Finally got some good pushes and I grabbed legs and out she came. Big lamb. She's the same size as the 5 day old ram lamb. And so cute. All different color spots. This is Earl's lamb. he is Suffolk-Finn-Hampshire and Leelah is Katahdin-Dorper. What a mutt she is. She looks wooly though. Should I dock her tail? I already did the ram lamb because he's more Finn.
I have 2 more Katahdin ewes to lamb any day. This is so exciting and fun! My little flock is growing fast.
Sheri, my goats hate the rain but the sheep don't mind it much. It sure is bad on their feet though. It's starting to dry off some out there.I hope you get dry soon.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 1:03:40 PM
Sarita - yes, we are getting rain at least I am. Buckets of it this morning but it's finally easing up a bit now. Just more moisture to add to the mud from the melt off. I am always glad when mud season is over. Until that happens it's impossible to keep the floors clean so other than sweeping - I don't even try. Even the sheep hate the rain and hang out either in the barn or huddled under the trees. Glad you came through the storms okay but sorry to hear of the damage to the barn. Hopefully you will be feeling better by the time the lambing starts. When do you shear? Still too cold to shear here - the poor things would freeze! Hope all is well with everyone.
Blessings, Sheri
"Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
http://farmsteadfripperies.blogspot.com/ |
| Keeper of the Past |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 09:33:56 AM
Kris, your black ewe will stay black until the bleaches it out and then she is a brown ewe. If you put coats on her, she will stay black.
We shear on the 24th and start lambing in April. It is a good thing that we are lambing later. The west end of the barn got hit with the tornado type winds and repairs have not started yet. The cold wind from the northwest howls through the barn right now. I have spent so many hours in the old barn with lambing and calving that it saddens me to see the old barn in such bad shape but Danny tells me that it will be as good as new soon...hopefully before lambing.
I have spent the last few days down with another kidney infection. More test, more dollars, more down time. But I am trying to stay ahead of the game, looking for BFL breeding stock on the computer and phone. I am also studing the bloodlines and wool types of the bloodlines to make choices that will fit in with my ewes and ram that I already have.
Grace, it seems like your winter has hit early, hard, and hanging on. You would think you were in the tropics if you lived in Missouri. I just hope we get some good Spring rains for good hay and pasture.
I watch the map and there is always some moisture coming in up in Washington. I always wonder if Sheri and Jamie are getting rain or snow. The weather map showed green over us like we were getting heavy rains this morning but all we were getting was a sprinkle here and there.
Have a good day sheepy friends
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 06:35:47 AM
Y'all make me feel bad about the great weather we have had here this winter. Too much rain though and way too mach mud. This week has been so nice. But not enough yet to dry up all the mud. I am so sorry for all the damage to some of your farms lately. We did have some tornadoes all around here but I live in a real tight valley so we get strong winds, that's about all right here. But a tornado did go up and on Lookout Mt. last April. Just 15 miles from my house. And then some more a few weeks ago.
A friend came over yesterday to shear the 3 wool sheep. I have sold Earl and he goes Monday so I wanted to get his wool. We did him first. No problem. He was a good boy. Then did the new momma Darla. She was good too. Then came Loco Lucinda, the crazy one. The one I got because of her beautiful dark brown fluffy wool. We had to catch her and put her up on the stand. That was fun. Julie had to change the blade 3 times on her. Her wool was so thickit was hard to cut through. And just as black as night underneath. She looks like a whole different ewe now. And like a Poodle with a horrible bad haircut. Poor thing. The others thought there were 2 new sheep in their lot. Took them awhile to figure it out. So that is done. And we trimmed all their hooves except Lucinda, who bolted as soon as she could. But herswere not near as bad as the 3 Katahdin. They must have bad feet, those sheep. Or hooves that grow really fast. And we are just dirt here. I was going to ask, since Lucinda is so black now, will her wool be black that will be growing out now? I know, dumb question. I guess it will be. But her brown wool is so pretty.
And I think I just have really fat sheep with udders. No lambs from those 3 Katahdin ewes yet. They are so big they waddle. But they must be just fat girls with no lambs. Lucinda has a little udder but if she is pregnant it will be a few more months yet.
And my Lamancha doe Abby had a single little doeling yesterday evening! Looks just like her daddy John Henry. So cute. I am so happy to get another girl from Abby. This will be her last kid. She is 12 years old now and I think I will retire her next year. She has THE best udder ever and I really love milking her because it is so perfect. SO I hope she has passed that on to her 2 daughters I am keeping. I will breed Zarah, her last year doe, either in a few months or in the fall. Not really sure. I want milk all year so it might be in a few months. I would like her a bit bigger. I have to milk Abby right away because her udder is SO big and with just a sinlge she gets too full. So I got a little over a half gallon bucket this morning.
Grace, you be careful out there on that ice. Be very Graceful, ok? Not much longer and the weather will be better.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| windypines |
Posted - Mar 11 2012 : 04:58:39 AM
Being Graceful on ice! Good luck with that. One thing the animals never tell on you! Barn lime works wonders on ice too.
There sure is alot of people with very little common sense anymore. That is what it seems like anyways.
Grace your batts and silk cocoons are beautiful.
Michele |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 06:53:12 AM
Weather sure has not been our friend as of late - this is weared on all of us. Sarita I am so very sorry to read of you damage - I sure know what that feels like. I too have more repairs because of the last three months - getting to the point where it is I keep asking myself how much more God??
Michele we had two days of warmth and the huge snow started to melt - overflowed the pond and that night the temp dropped 40 degrees and now there is ice everywhere - makes chores harder then when it was big snow drifts. At least I keep reminding myself I do not have to drive with all the nutters in this mess. Accidents piled up with the black ice. So I spread poop and straw and try to be Graceful..
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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| windypines |
Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 04:19:07 AM
Hope all is well Sarita. Gosh that makes for alot of extra work. But some pretty bad storms went through the country. Glad it was not worse.
We got 15-18 inches of snow out of those storms. Got the barnyard cleaned out just in time. I had 3 calves in 4 days. I wish the rest would keep coming, but it will be a while before the next ones. Then we have had melting weather and rain yesterday. Making for an icy mess. Now the weather is back to freezing again, then another big warm up this weekend. Will have to think about putting taps out. Put the sheeps out for the first time, in their pasture area. I got tired of hearing them complain about being in the barn. Well I think they were surprised at the deep snow. Ha They just stayed in one little area where I had put their hay. I had been letting them out to run around everyday, but that just was not good enough for them!
MIchele |
| amomfly |
Posted - Mar 07 2012 : 03:00:16 AM
Wow Sarita, I am glad you are all ok. You guys have had some scary weather.
Thanks Ladies!
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| Keeper of the Past |
Posted - Mar 01 2012 : 5:59:14 PM
Congratulations Angie.
Michele, we had a wind that took the west end of the big machine shed doors and the west end of the sheep barn. The wind howled the whole day yesterday. Shingles blew off the house, trees were uprooted and we had 4 of the 850 lb bales of hay lined up and the storm moved one bale about 25 feet. A neighbor's roof came off of their barn and another had a shed completely blow away. Leap Day was very windy!
No lambs yet...next month for me. We also need to build more lots for the sheep.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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| windypines |
Posted - Mar 01 2012 : 04:49:32 AM
Congratulations Angie, on your 20th. good luck with the fenceing projects.
Wow Sarita, Danny sure has been busy! Your very lucky! Glad to hear your electric spinners are working so well.
Your fibers on your blog are great.
We got dumped on. I am not sure how much snow we got, but over a foot. What a wet heavy mess. I still have to go out and try to clean out the barn yards. It is belly deep to my cows. The sheep will be staying in for a few days, as they would not even make it out to their pasture. I will let them run around the plowed areas today. I spent about 5 hours yesterday plowing 3 driveways. Then going back and cleaning out the ends, after the road grader finally went though. I would go a few feet, and ver off and dump. With ice underneath I could only plow down hill. Such fun. At least no babies yet here. So glad for that.
michele |
| amomfly |
Posted - Feb 29 2012 : 06:45:03 AM
Kristin-I am not sure on the breeding season of sheep. So I hope someone else helps you.
I hope the buck and ram get along so that you can keep him.
I have been so busy and over whelmed with all of the "stuff" in my life I haven't been on here in awhile. But I missed you all so much. So I am going to make a point to get on here more.
I have a doe ready to kid soon. Actually any day now! I am sitting in my office and listening to my barn monitor. With all the wind and rain today would be a good day for a kidding! This doe is called Bella. She will be two in April and this is her first kidding. She is afraid of human touch so I hope this helps her to trust as I will be touching her more and more. She came from a farm that does not work or really care for their animals. But I knew her bloodline and I got her cheap. If I can breed her to my best bucks and get some good blood and dairy qualities in my herd then it will be worth it. At some point I will probably either sell her and her two doe "sisters" from the same farm or I will put them on as land clearing crews!
I hope all of you are staying dry! This may not have been a cold and snowy winter but man have we had a lot of rain! I still have mud every where!
We will be moving my horse on our 5 acres down the road along with a friends two young horses. I will miss seeing her out my window, but there is more grass and space for her down the road! Once she is gone we will be re doing all of our fencing and how the pastures are laid out. We are hoping to maximize our use of our two acres here. I cant wait! It will give us more space for raised gardens and more pastures. It will also allow us to split up our pastures into smaller spaces for better rotation. I will have to take some before and after pictures!
Well I have to get a move on. It is our anniversary today and I am making a big dinner! 20 years!
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 29 2012 : 05:20:50 AM
I am going to try it and see. The buck is over the ridge at another farm for a few weeks so when he gets back I'll try. Poor Earl is a mess. He's so sweet I hate to get rid of him but I really don't need him now. But if the other 2 ewes aren't pregnant then maybe I'll try again in a few months for fall lambs. Has anyone done that before? I was told that Finn and Hampshire are good breeders all year. I am breeding my 2 younger does in a few months for Oct. or Nov. kids so I will have milk all year now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| amomfly |
Posted - Feb 29 2012 : 03:57:06 AM
Kristin, I have seen many farms where bucks and rams are together. I would just of course be careful with feed. No copper mis haps! And introduce them, maybe a panel splitting the pen? I think it should be fine.
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 28 2012 : 09:22:18 AM
Can I put my buck in with ram to keep him company? I know I'll have to keep the white salt block in there and just feed hay. But was just wondering. Poor Earl is breaking my heart.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Keeper of the Past |
Posted - Feb 26 2012 : 7:19:13 PM
We had a mild but windy day today. Danny has made me 3 electric spinners and I have really been spinning the yarn. I also purchased an antique hat wooden hat mold yesterday on Ebay. I am planning on knitting and felting hats and purses that I design... Angie has motivated me. She got a new felting machine so whatever I make, she can decorate with wool felt. She also took two old matching dressers and put them back to back and put a new top on them and gave them a beautiful paint job...her work area is really coming along and she is not buying anything but the paint and upholstery materials. I went upstairs today and carded wool.
Kristin, we have about 90 acres that I will have for sheep and haying. I have just been allowed to use about 15 acres for the sheep. My BIL isn't very happy but I figure that if I am going to take care of animals and hay...it might as well be our animals and our hay. We do have a few cows too. Still looking for BFL ewes.
Brenda, so happy that you can move on and that you are going to get the farm. Happy that you have a new fellow!
I will not be lambing until April this year. We will probably shear sheep in about 2 weeks.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 26 2012 : 07:16:01 AM
I have Earl in the penned area that we fixed a few months ago. I had to move a fence panel so the ewes could use the big stall with the door. He has a lean-to type shelter so he should be ok. I think after we shear him and the 2 Finn ewes I am going to go ahead and sell him. Then I'll get a few rams later in the fall. He is such a big baby. Making me feel sorry for him.
The other 4 ewes are being really good in the yard. They are afraid of the wind blowing the black plastic. So I go out there and shake it every once in awhile. We had a really bad leak for a few months over there so the grass is so green and tall and looking good. Sheep are so funny though. They seem to like scrubby old grasses. They are eating it but it took them awhile to like it.
I gave Darla a 5ml shot of LA 200 this morning and soaked her foot in that blue copper tox stuff. She is still on the other side by herself til she gets better. I don't see anything wrong with her hoof other than a slight crack on the outside of the hoof. I hope this shot works. She hates me right now. But if it helps her that's ok.
Is there something I can put down in the pasture where she is to keep any germs or bacteria away?
Brenda, thanks for the advice. And I am amazed how fast some men get over a divorce. Makes you wonder. My best friend died last May and her husband was seeing other women a few months later. I hope you do get on with your life. It will be much better now that you are able to make your own choices and do what you want to do. I just read that you have a new guy! Good for you. I missed that part.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Cavalli Runner |
Posted - Feb 25 2012 : 11:40:15 PM
Hi Ladies! Thanks for al the well-wishes over my farm.
Sarita, I may be interested in buying a spinning wheel if you decide to sell any, so keep me in mind. I should be back in MO by the first part of May, and already have a new guy in line to cut my hay this year. I also have a new guy in my life (not the hay guy, though!)...and I just heard my ex got married again last THU to a woman he met 5 days after the divorce (so he has known her less than two months)...that's all I'm gonna say about it except that I guess this means I am completely free to move on with my own life.
Grace, the people who are looking for a farm contacted me and said they would like to contact you, so I am going to give them your name and blog site so she can contact you that way.
Kristin, Grace is right...don't let the rams in with the ewes when it is time for birthing. I learned that the hard way. Luckily, no babies were lost, and he was actually quite gentle with the babies, but he didn't want to leave the mommas alone so from now on the daddies have to move to a new location away from birthing mommas until at least a week or so before they get re-introduced. Not only can the babies get hurt, when the mommas are running away from the ram they are not bonding with their babies because they are too busy trying to keep from being mounted. No one wants to go through that right after giving birth!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
Happy Farming!
Brenda Larson
You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.
http://cavallirunfarm.blogspot.com/ |
| windypines |
Posted - Feb 25 2012 : 04:28:42 AM
Kris yesterday while going to work, I saw the neighbors 2 sheep getting back into their fenced in pasture. She had a lovely looking woven wire fence around the pasture area. Those sheep had figured out how to get under the woven wire. Once they figure out where they can get out, they will do it everyday. At least that what my two have done! Hope Darla gets better!
Michele |
