N-Ewes from Hopeful Shetlands

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Off To Her New Home

Yesterday my friends, Catherine and Adam, came to pick up a new member for her little flock. Catherine is an avid spinner and knitter and her children all knit, weave and use the lucett, as well as raise animals. She has a mixed flock of babydoll crosses, shetlands and now shetland/bluefaced leicester crosses. I know my sheep will be well ca
red for in her new home.

Friday, July 13, 2012

More Babies

I went out to the barn last Thursday to hear that familar cry of a newborn kitten. Since our tom cat died this spring, there haven't been any kittens in the barn. A new tom visits often now and sure enough a lone kitten arrived. I have one cat that regularly abandons her kittens and that is just what happened in this case. I showed the kitten to her, but she turned and ran. I asked my husband if we should save it or not, and after his initial "What do we need another cat for ?" tirade, he said save it. He is a big softie on the inside. Of course after a few days of bottle feeding the little guy came around nicely and is now living with a friend's
family where he will have other cats to play with and much love and attention from three animal loving children. Lucky day for all involved.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

A Day on The Farm

Last evening while swimming in the pool, my husband and I looked over to see the grapevine growing on the fence in the shape of a horse. It is one of the only things that is green in our fields. I will have to cut it down and the sheep will enjoy eating it. Luckily for us one of the former owners of this farm built a manure pit under what is left of our driveshed. He had wanted to raise pigs but never did. All the water and snow runoff from the barn and driveshed roofs run into the pit so we have irrigation water when we need it and boy do we need it this year. My neighbo
ur brought over a round bale for the sheep and we will be unloading hay today. Hopefully the rain will come. The sooner the better.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Hot Hot Hot

We are going through quite a drought this summer and I have had to start feeding hay. First cut should arrive this Sunday and I am hoping that we will be able to get what we need for second cut. The sheep and lambs are handling the weather beautifully and are growing like weeds. I was away last week and come home to find that Isabella, one of my pet shetland/bfl crosses had given birth to her first lamb. He is very tiny and full of mis
chief, like his mother and grandmother. He is a lovely chocolate brown and looks like a miniature blue faced leicester. Enjoy the photos.