1/26/2006

LocalHarvest Gets it Right!

I’m pleased to alert you to a very well written article about our farm on LocalHarvest.org. The newsletter interviews myself and some other great farmers around the country. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.

http://www.localharvest.org/newsletter/20060125/

1/23/2006

Winter or Spring?

It’s been the craziest weather so far this month. We’ve had freezing and thawing at least twice. This has cause some terrible problems with drainage, ice daming, flooding and general confusion of what to do with all this water! We’ve never had to deal with a January thaw twice in one year. Today it’s snow, thank God. It sounds very strange from my lips to be thankful for snow and cold temperatures, but it is winter, and we do need the ground to stay frozen.

The most important reason to have the freezing temperatures is so we can get some logging done. The logs are for not only firewood, but actually mostly for milling projects for the sheep barn, new chicken coop and many wood related projects we have in mind around the farm. So, the soon we get back to real winter weather, the better. Once Spring and Summer come, Ernie is doing his masonry job full time and then some. We sure do need his help around here, couldn’t do it without him, that’s for sure! Thank you Ernie.

Becky asked about how you can tell if a ewe is pregnant. Well, there are scientific ways, one of which is ultrasound. This typically is performed on the ewes in the first two months. This technique explores whether or not there are fetus’ in the ewe’s womb. Myself, along with other eager shepherds, would like to have a urine test, but it’snot cheap enough for regular flockmasters, from what I understand. So, my way of detecting pregnancy is mainly observation of behavior and the physical signs of the ewe’s bellys growing larger. First they tend to get a deeper belly, then later on in the pregnancy the belly swells horizontally. There are also signs in the vagina/vulva area that clearly indicate pregnancy. And also there teats and udder develop the closer they come to lambing time.

If you’ve had the ewes in with the rams for at least two cycles, 34 days or so, it is most likely they have been bred. My sheep cycle between late September and December, so as long as the they are exposed to a ram during that time, I’m pretty sure they’ve been bred. Typically yearling ewes deliver single lambs, and older mature ewes deliver mulitiple lambs; twins or triplets. That’s been my experience.

Just a note, I’ve been very occupied with a new retail shop in Florence, MA. I joined Wool & Dye Works beginning of January and things are going well. I’m selling my woolwares there, roving, yarns, handwovens and Louet Spinning wheels. If anyone is in the area, I hope you can stop by for a visit. I’m usually in the shop on Saturdays and Mondays I have a Drop In Spin from noon to 2pm.

All for now, L

1/1/2006

Happy New Year!

The first day of the new year, 2006, brings in some hope and promise. The end of breeding for my ewes this season is marked by the strainuous effort to muck out all the pens. With clean paddocks they can be comfortable and free of the rams interest. But for one fresh ewe there should be no more ewes in heat until next September or so. I’m hopeful that all the ewes I had in with the rams are bred and we can expect lambing to begin March 25th and onward until May 25 or so.

I put the two open rams and one wether ram together. I used a head sheild over the dominate ram so he won’t damage the younger ram. It’s working so far. They make contact, but not near as dangerous if left without the sheild. So, time will help those lads out, work out the kinks, but don’t kill each other, Please!

It’s snowing and a gentle wind in the trees loosens the fallen snow off the pine bows overhead. Seems like a good day to take a nap. Hope the cud chewing four-leggeds get the hint from nature. Sleep it off.

Cheers to you all, Happy New Year!