My ewe flock doth grow.

Three days ago, I helped my neighbor Carolyn, round up her Icelandic flock, I wormed them,  and we sorted out the lambs, ram lambs and rams to one pen, ewe lambs to another pen. A long but fun day, We stood looking at the ewe lambs - beautiful Icelandic lambs. Carolyn said "I won't be keeping any ewe lambs, so pick out a couple!"   I picked out 'Ashley' dam raised twin to my botle lamb 'Annie'. Ashley is black with the grey gene.......here she is (fuzzy pic)

Ashley's bottle lamb sister Annie

The second was a spotted lamb. 'Bon-Bon' is a spotted ewe black lamb with an extensive white spot. Her body is covered in white fleece, with big black patches around her eyes.......here she is

Yesterday Carolyn had me stop by to take pictures of the ewe lambs, ram lambs and adult ewes for sale. I am to put on the ads and handle the sales.   One of Badger faced ewe lambs stood out- a Badger face should have dark legs and belly.... Prissy is a badgerface wuth a large white spot making her legs and belly white......here she is.

Homebred ewe lamb Lollipop

Homebred Gem

And of course the ever flashy LRO Bling Sisters  Sugar and Spice

My adult ewes are all wormed. Adult ewes and ewe lambs are in the barnyard cleaning up the summer's growth. Ah they get some hay and corn too. Breeding season will began toward the end of October. 'Checkers' will breed my whole flock.......next Spring beautiful spotted lambs everywhere...........I can't wait!

"Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there's something out there you love to do, that you believe in, that you're good at — something that's bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today."

Till later,

Jerry

A Fun Day!

Checkers!

 A few days ago, after we got our hay hauled, I helped my neighbor Carolyn get ready to catch her Icelandic flock for worming and sorting. In the barnyard, we put up cattle panels where the old netting fence was down, I pounded in T posts where the fence could be stretched back up.
Yesterday we got most of the flock in the barnyard.  Later in the day we would round up the remaining 7 lambs.  Carolyn handed me the worming syringe and marking crayon, as I caught and wormed. The rams and the ram lambs went out a separate door to the ram pen. Of the 35 ewes, we sorted out some fine ewes to be sold. Carolyn will try to trim down to 15. We penned up the ewe lambs- all to be sold as breeding stock. It took most of the day but we had fun doing it. Frequent rests and ongoing conversation.  My payment for helping was to be the spotted ram lamb I got home last week. "Checkers" whose grandmother was the famous "Saddleback" ewe. Checker's sire and dam are both are the result of AI with imported semen from Iceland.  At the end of the day,Carolyn said pick out a couple ewe lambs to take home.  In the ewe lamb pen was my bottle lamb "Annie's" grey twin sister and a spotted ewe lamb.  So "Ashley" and bandit eyed "Bon-Bon" came home. Wow  fancy Spring ewe lambs.  Pictures in next post

Today is an official day of rest. Now I know what sheep shearers must feel like after a long day. But its good to work hard, have a good sweat.  In the words of my Grandma "Working hard never killed anyone, slowly rotting in a chair will!"   My sister and I were raised to work and keep busy, to this day I have to watch a DVD in sections........pause go do something else for a while, come back and watch some more. Only now at age 75 will my mother watch a movie from start to finish in one seating.........sometimes! She still does a lot. Huge garden and lawn.

May your day be bright, and your load light!
Jerry

Fall is in the Air!

My neighbors, Lloyd and Carolyn, and I joined forces and got our winter hay. We hired a strong 21 yr old to help us! Man can Aaron stack hay! Lloyd transported the out-of-the-field loaded racks.......we stacked. I got 2 racks of beautiful 3rd cutting alfalfa/grass mix hay. it smells wonderful, my whole barn smells good. I got a little more than I need for the winter so we stacked some in the garage, yup I have room for the old pickup.  Since I can't drive, so 'old blue' see little action, unless my daughter takes it to town for me....a Menards or Fleet Farm trip.
Carolyn got one rack and three more yesterday

I put up a white fence around the yard onto the sheep fence I alaways wanted one,

So the white fence, made the brown deck look out of place.....so I slowly painted it all white......now the while place looks good! The white deck shows of the white house trim ect

Jerry

Blue Ameraucana Project

Not the best picture. But you get to see that my Blue Golden roo is throwing some nice blue pullets  The red is a blue splash...she carries 2 genes for blue all her future chicks wil be blue! These are the 3rd generation of my project. I got the muffs, beards, sky blue egg  now for the plumage......and its here!

Flash2 is sire of the pullets, the Red splash is out of one of his pullet and Flash2, A bit of close breeding

I have a outcross Blue Wheaton roo to go back on the pullets next Spring!  I will be hatching Gen #4. Its exciting....ya gotta be a chicken lover to understand!
Jerry

Oh a Toby Keith Video that explains Why I am single now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeBGuLK5Pgc