Tag: yearlings

Good Fences

Sheeps & Peeps16 Comments

Temporary electric net fencing is a godsend for dividing the pasture into paddocks for rotational grazing.  Here we’ve set up a temporary paddock outside the perimeter fencing so that the bio-mowers – the wethers and some of the yearlings – can help us maintain part of the barnyard.  After spending the day out in the barnyard, they are brought back into the barn at night.

Joining TexWisGirl at The Run*A*Round Ranch for a link-up at ‘Good Fences’.

Saturday in the Pasture

Sheeps & Peeps7 Comments

A foggy, early morning greeting at the barn was followed by a most enthusiastic group of lambs coming into the barn for FAMACHA scoring.  We have been lucky that this year’s lambs come right in, all the way into the barn without requiring one of the shepherdess/s becoming a border collie.

Once we finished the scoring, we thought we better separate the yearling ewes from Liam before they begin cycling, and we were surprised next spring by very early lambs. 

That went very smoothly, except for Larry and Moe who were left behind with Liam.  They spent much of the day walking the fence line; trying to figure out why they weren’t allowed to join the others.  They finally gave up and settled under a shade tree.

The yearling ewes moved through the pasture in a huddled group for awhile, but in no time at all were grazing right along side the breeding ewes, happy in their new paddock.

Yearling HiJinks

Sheeps & Peeps5 Comments

The yearling ewes are spending their time getting fat and sassy, awaiting their new roles as breeding ewes come fall.  For now, they are carefree and full of teenage fun.   They observe all the excitement going on in the adjoining pasture, and sometimes they just can’t help but join in when the lambs start their running games. 

It’s very entertaining to watch them running… bucking… kicking their heels… soaring through the air.  Then, almost as quickly as it begins… there they are again standing at the fence, once again observing life in the adjoining pasture, just as if nothing had happened.  This group of young ladies are growing out very well, and are really quite beautiful.  They are the future of the flock.

Finally

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We finally got the yearling ewes and two of the wethers, Moe and Larry, moved out of the barn pasture and into their new paddock… again.  We gave up on Jack and he will stay with the bred ewes, probably through lambing.

It was a very exciting day.  They played follow-the-leader with Davita.  This very quickly evolved into a chase-the-cats-out-of-the-pasture game.  We are assuming that the yearling ewes won as Davita and Muffy ended up on fence posts.

They discovered the goat tree, just as any animal we put in this pasture seems to do.  Sheep, goat or dog they all seem to love this little crab apple tree.

The rams discovered that they now have neighbors, and had to show off a little for next season’s ladies with a minor head-butting, neck-wrestling tussle.  Not to be outdone, the yearlings had to do a little showing off of their own.

What was a very exciting day for the yearlings, finally ended with some peaceful grazing… yes… finally.

Mayhem

Sheeps & Peeps5 Comments

Mayhem ~ a collective noun, at least around here.  It seems to be a name given to the yearlings each spring.  Here you see them – calm, relaxed, enjoying the post-shearing sunshine.  But this is not the paddock they are supposed to be in.  This picture is post-mayhem. 
In the hours preceding this, the yearlings, their watering trough, and mineral feeders have been moved, Moe, Larry and Jack (the three very large wethers) have been re-caught and moved, fences have torn down and re-built – twice.  This at the end of a long shearing day… we gave up.  They are in the barn paddock with the expectant mamas, and there they will stay until we get our plan in place to out-smart them.  The worst of it is — they brought the wethers back with them… sigh.

Right here, that girl looking us right in the eye is Grace… the ring-leader.  Just look at that innocent face.

The Big Weekend

Sheeps & Peeps7 Comments

As many weekends are… this was a very busy weekend on the farm.  We moved the yearlings and the older ewes back to the granddaddy green by the barn.  It is so great to have them back at the barn, if only for a little while.  In a couple weeks we will move them to a paddock where they will have access to one of the hayfields during the day.  We also moved the rams to a new paddock… inching slowly towards breeding season.

Took Raven into the woods after doing a little work with the goat boys, and flushed that blasted fox.  It took off up over the hill through the graveyard field.

Celebrated Mom’s birthday… Happy Birthday, once again, Mom!  Great-granddaughter Harley is ready to help blow out the twenty candles she counted to put on the cake.

And we sold a dozen of our ewes – yearlings and proven two-year-olds.  Many, many thanks to the McComb family for making the trip from Marlinton to buy some of our girls.  We are so excited that they are going to a handspinner’s flock.  We hope they will love the fleeces the girls produce and enjoy spinning them as much as we do!