More lambs! And Sales for the season!

Its been a long few weeks! AP tests and senior year activities have filled up the last few weeks, yet there is a lot to tell. Five days after Minnie had her lambs, Izzy had hers! She actually had them the night I got back from a New York trip, I was really happy that she waited until I was at home once again. Keeping with the theme of gender unity that I have had for the last two years, Izzy, like the other two, had a set of ram lambs. Leo and Vincent are a gorgeous duo, and Leo has quickly found a place in all of our hearts! He has the cutest personality, and Vincent is quite playful as well.

All of the lambs are doing great and growing super fast. It turns out that I am going to have to hold off on buying a breeding ram for the fall (because of college) so I will be breading my ram lambs to the ewes in the flock that they are unrelated to. Or at least that is the plan anyway.

FOR SALE
All of my rams this year are for sale! Please contact me with any questions or interest! My email is Montana@Airey.us, and I will respond as quickly as possible. 

Elmer: Black HST: He is a beautiful sweet boy, a very pretty soft fleece, a nice tail, and great conformation. I am amazed that this pattern came out of Minnie! He has gulmoget parents from both sides

Calvin: Morrit Gulmoget: His fleece is super soft and it looks like he has some great crimp coming in! He has a fantastic personality and the sweetest face, also a good tail and conformation! He is Elmer's twin and has two gulmoget parents

Teddy: Gray Gulmoget: He is very sweet, his fleece is soft but seems to be more wavy than crimpy, and has a nice gray color. His sire is a gulmoget and his tail and conformation are lovely.

Oscar: Gray Flecket Gulmoget: Very pretty markings on this lamb, he is perhaps the most lovey of all the lambs and would be content to spend all day in a persons lap, he has a soft grayish fleece with some crimp, but more of a wavy fleece like his brother.

 

Leo: Flecket: He is one of my top picks of the bunch, and he is a full sister to Eloise (so I hope he will carry in her footsteps, she even got best of show once last year) so I have high hopes for this boy. His fleece looks gorgeous, that long crimpy type, with curly cues already forming on his back. His fleece is gray and has a beautiful luster. Great conformation and tail

Vincent: Black: He is the first solid I have had and he is the full brother to Leo so I have high hopes for him as well, his fleece is very soft and the crimp is looser but it looks like it will be more like his mothers fleece (who has one of my favorite fleeces). I am very excited to see him grow up! He is a lot like Leo in many ways. He also has good conformation and tail length!

The whole bunch of them! They are so adorable :)

Lambs Chicks and Crocus Flowers

I have had quite the eventful week! The first thing of notice is that the crocus flowers have finally bloomed, bringing a splash of color into the drab landscape. Its nice to see the weather finally getting warmer and signs of permanent spring arrive.

Our chicks also arrive this Monday! They are a lively group of birds of all different sizes and kinds. We got around 17, including two standards (who tower above the bantams), and a new breed that I am very excited to watch grow.

Black Tailed buff Japanese Bantam 

Blue Silkie

Golden Laced Polish

Today, Minnie finally lambed! She had two beautiful ram lambs, one of which is a gulmoget and the other looks to be a black and white HST. I got to watch the birth again and it was magical. Although I was hoping for at least one ewe lamb out of Minnie, I am still waiting for Izzy to lamb.  

Elmer trying to get up!

Elmer is on the left and Calvin is on the right


In other news, Bea's ram lambs are doing wonderful! They are growing like crazy and enjoying being part of the whole flock :)

 

 

 

Lambing Season and Signs of Spring!

After a long winter and lots of snow, lambs are finally here along with warmer weather! Ground can actually be viewed beneath the snow and this morning I had to take off my winter gear. However, the lambs are the most exciting part of all! Bea had two ram lambs, both are healthy and beautiful.

Oscar has eye catching markings!

And he is pretty photogenic too!

Oscar is the troublemaker on mom, and Theodore is hiding in the back

Teddy is using mom as a head rest!



They are an adorable pair :)


 

I couldn't be happier with Bea, and I can't wait to watch these little guys grow up. Both have their father's gulmoget markings, and they should both turn out to be a gray. They are also full of personality and spunk! Hopefully this upcoming week they will be able to venture out of the lambing pen and into the great outdoors.

As for my other ewes, I believe that  they should be lambing in the next few weeks. Minnie looks as if she almost ready but Izzy still has some time until her udder is ready.

Winter Snowflakes

Spring was almost here! However, it seems that another snow storm has taken away that hope. At least mud season has ended temporarily. In the past few weeks we have kept ourselves busy on the farm.
I have acquired my own pair of electric shears, and have endeavored to shear my own animals. Three out of the six have been sheared for the spring, and they look absolutely adorable!

I am thrilled with the fleeces! Eloise has this beautiful bluish tint in all the lighter areas of her body. Melody is still on the smaller side, but her fleece was quite lovely as well. I am excited to see how their yearling fleeces grow in!  I still have three ewes left to shear, and they will get done the next sunny snow free day.

In more sad news, our ram Vaughan, is now in our freezer. He was a beautiful boy, and a wonderful ram. However, we have a new ram coming into the flock for this breeding season. We sheared Vaughan and let him have one day in the paddock.

 

Eloise posing for the camera

Poppy is an adorable little girl!

The snow filled up the run!

Wrong side of the fence Indy!

The snow is a little deep for the dogs

We also have lambs coming in the next few weeks, Bea looks as if she should be any time now! And the flock is doing wonderful, and enjoying the snow!

Winter Wonderland

There is plenty of snow covering the ground, and needless to say, the sheep have been loving it! Winter has been uneventful for the most part. Harmony has been sold and is happily living on another farm as a pet. Vaughan has been in with the girls since October so we should have lambs within a few months! Its hard to believe that its been so long since the last show and I can't wait for the season to start up again. We have ordered around 15 chicks for the spring! A mixture of cochins and a few other clean legged birds, the one I am most excited about is the standard sultan who should bring a little bit of comic relief to our flock!


The three lambs enjoying hay on a snowy day!



Eloise is as mischievous as ever, yet she is beautiful and I can't wait to get my hands on her fleece!  



Izzy and Minnie bonding! Both should be lambing this spring!



Minnie posing for the camera



Indy isn't the biggest fan of the snow blower



Izzy, Minnie, and Bea all enjoying the fresh snowfalll



Vaughan being adorable



Izzy with snow still on her face from nuzzling the ground!



I love New England