Shear Madness...

I had originally planned to write a more detailed "Shearing Day" blog, but the gruesome discovery on the barn floor that morning turned me into a stressed-out mess for a few days...  I still think that an amended "Shearing Day" posting is in order so here it is...

Preparing for the Shearer -
I think it is important to carefully prepare for your shearer's visit, especially if you ever want them to return!

• You should have your worming/vaccinations/feet trimming done prior to shearing time OR have enough people there to help so that the shearer is not waiting for you.
• If you plan to have the shearer do "extras" like shots or foot trimming, arrange it with them ahead of time AND expect to pay for this service.
• Make sure the sheep are DRY on shearing day...  not only will wet wool not dry once sheared and bagged up, but your shearer will get soaking wet having to handle water-logged sheep.
• Have your sheep penned up prior to the shearer's arrival...  and don't expect them to catch your sheep for you.
• Don't feed the sheep before the shearer arrives - believe it or not, handling and manipulating a sheep with an empty stomach is much easier on sheep AND shearer.  A full stomach will not allow the sheep to bend appropriately.
• Have your supplies ready: bags for wool, broom, garbage bin, coffee or water for the shearer, wound dust, livestock dust...

Have a Plan -

• Who will catch the sheep, where will the sheep go after shearing, who will bag the wool, who will sweep between sheep?
• Which sheep will you shear first?  Usually we shear our white sheep first and then the black since we don't want to mix the black fibers in with the white clip, but grade of wool is also a concern.  We shear our white fine wool first, then our black fine wool, followed by our coarser wools.

Here is a diagram of our barn set up for shearing:

click to enlarge

Post Shearing -

• Dusting your sheep with Livestock Dust after shearing can be a good idea if you have had any issues with mites, ticks, or other bugs.  We don't worry too much in the winter, but do dust our sheep sheared later in the spring.
• It is inevitable that some sheep will get small cuts - maybe they were wriggling around and the clippers slipped or they have very wrinkly skin that got caught in a blade...  Have wound dust handy, but don't get too worried, the lanolin which sheep produce will likely have them healed in no time.
• Feed the sheep - their bodies will need to adjust to their new "climate" now that they are nudists...  extra calories will help keep them warm.  Food will also keep them busy as they "meet" all of these strange, naked sheep they think they are just meeting for the first time.
• Tip your shearer if they have done a great job...  If you think about the hard work they do, it is thankless, dirty, taxing on the body, and they will remember your generosity (even if the tip is lunch or some farm produce).

If you make every effort to be prepared for shearing day, you will end up with happy sheep, a happy shearer, and a good wool clip.

I love shearing day...  it is amazing to watch your sheep go from wooly beasts to slick and clean in a matter of minutes...  and suddenly you have a whole new batch of WOOL to play with or sell!!!

Hindsight...

Hindsight is not always 20/20.  Sometimes the past is as much of a mystery as the future, but I'm still absolutely convinced that we can learn valuable lessons from it anyway.

The ewe who lost her lamb is really doing great.  She is feeling good and even jumping around at feeding time - this is a GOOD thing.  All of the other ewes are doing fine and showing no signs that they are having any problems.  I have watched the flock very closely over the last few days and have noticed that one of my old girls is being very agressive at feeding time...

Most of the other ewes stand down to her without argument, but it is entirely possible that the ewe who lost her lamb had been hit broadside by the old bully.  It will probably remain a mystery.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• In the future, I will not likely introduce two groups of ewes together so late in pregnancy.
• I do have a very "common sense" vet who is not going to push me to spend money unnecessarily (Teresa pointed this out).
• Experience continues to make me a more knowledgable shepherd (and hopefully some of you can learn from my experience too).
• We have some great friends who continue to offer their experience, support, and encouragement (including many readers - thank you!).

Hindsight is not always 20/20.

Hindsound usually indicates that Hindsmell is not far behind.

Hindsmell stinks.

Kind of Warped...

No folks, this is not a post about my warped sense of humor... 

I think I have mentioned that Wayne and I have been spinning wool into yarn for a while now.  I didn't expect to enjoy spinning as much as I do, but I find it very relaxing and rewarding.  The problem is that you end up with a bunch of yarn and nothing to do with it!!!  We have sold some and given some away, but with all of the expense and time you have into it, you really want to find a way to use it yourself. 

Wayne received a small Ashford Loom for Christmas 2009 and he made a few projects with it including my awesome Merino Wool Scarf which he gave me for Christmas this year.  This last fall, when he saw a Leclerc Floor Loom on Craigslist for a great price, he brought it home and made a place for it in the computer room.  It is HUGE and has a lot of parts - foot pedals, cranks, mechanical brakes...  It was a little intimidating to think of trying to learn how to use it.

On Saturday, Cathy Phaneuf from Phaneuf Pharm came over and taught us how to warp our loom.  As with most new hobbies, weaving comes with it's own vocabulary and I am learning it slowly.  To "warp" a loom essentially means to "string" it.  The "strings" that run from back to front and through the parts that raise up and down when you press the pedals are called "the warp".  The "strings" or yarn which you weave through the warp are called the "weft".   Don't worry, there will not be a test (I hope).

Cathy showing us how to tie the warp

Cathy is a great teacher...  she broke the very intricate process of warping the loom down into very easy steps and her excitement and love of weaving was infectious.  I learn better from people who are excited about what they are teaching about.

We have spent a few hours since Cathy left on Saturday weaving our first project...  It is going to be a scarf made from handspun yarn in a Pebble Weave pattern with bands of regular weave every 5 inches. 

I did not expect to enjoy weaving...

Progress on our first Floor Loom project

As you push down on different pedals you weave through the "shed"

The "Pebble Weave" pattern we are working from

 

Our progress (note the band of regular weave near the top which will repeat every 5 inches)

Deflated and Defleeced - yet Determined...

DEFLATED

It's easy to blog about the good stuff that happens on the farm, but really hard to write about the bad, especially when it is fresh and stinging.   I don't want this blog to be a view "through rose colored glasses"... I think too many people tell only about the "ups" and the "downs" are left in the back of the proverbial closet where nobody can see.  I want to share our "downs" too...  It might be a learning tool for someone and it will definately be good therapy for me to write about it!

Each breeding season is kind of like blowing up a balloon...  every step you take toward lambing is like blowing another breath in.  You choose the right ram, vaccinate, worm, feed the right food, and when lambing time arrives you have a nice shiney balloon to marvel at.  The problem with balloons is that sometimes things don't go according to plan and you feel the balloon (and your spirits) deflate.

Yesterday morning as we were penning the ewes in the barn for shearing, we found an aborted fetus on the barn floor...  This was a first for us.  If you search the internet for "aborted lamb", you find a multitude of horrible diseases that can quickly attack a flock and cause an "abortion storm".  On the other hand, something as simple as a ewe getting bumped at the feeder by another ewe can cause an abortion.

By now, most readers probably know that my mind automatically expects the worst so besides being upset about the lost lamb, I was instantly worried about the rest of the flock.  I called my vet and he told me that I needed to calm down.  He said that if we were to lose another lamb then we should take the fetus in for testing and start treating the flock, but that one abortion is not cause for mass hysteria.

We have in the last two weeks introduced two groups of ewes together, moved them into a new area (the barn), and penned them on Sunday to trim feet, worm, and vaccinate - it is very reasonable to think that the ewe got bumped...  but I will be watching the flock like a hawk and worrying.  Ahhh, the joys of keeping livestock.

DEFLEECED

Shearing itself went VERY well...  I am really happy with how the ewes look - it can be a challenge to know how fat/skinny they are under 3 - 4 inches of wool and is nice to know we are getting better at judging body condition.  Even our "old girls" look good.

Cheviot Ewes awaiting Shearing...

We penned the ewes up and one by one the shearer expertly harvested their wool.  This year local sheep shearer Sy Caryl sheared for us...  He shears all over the country and competes in various shearing contests.  We are really lucky here in Michigan in that we have many professional shearers to choose from and the few we have used here at the farm have all done exceptional work.

Merino Ewe getting naked...

We gave extra hay to the ewes and will keep them out of the wind until their wool starts to grow back and their bodies acclimate to losing their wool coat.

 

NAKED SHEEP!!!

DETERMINED

All of the ewes are acting great and looking very healthy - even the ewe that aborted is eating and drinking and chewing her cud.  We gave her a shot of antibiotics because we could... 

I am determined not to stress out over this set-back to the point where it isn't enjoyable anymore.  Afterall, you have to love the journey in order to love the destination.

I am determined to keep blowing up this balloon...  true, it could pop, but life is a party and what's a party without a few balloons?

Special Delivery...

Now before you think that the UPS driver risked life and limb in "the blizzard of the year" to deliver these packages, I must confess that these were delivered on Monday and Tuesday but I didn't get around to opening them until today...

To the untrained eye, it may appear that someone in our household has un unhealthy relationship with the Home Shopping Network, but in reality this is just another sign that lambing season is quickly approaching...

As a kid, I always loved getting packages in the mail, and I must still be a kid at heart because to this day it feels a little like Christmas when I have a box to open.  Forget the fact that I just ordered the stuff last week...  I still find suprises (likely because of the brain cells that succumbed to red wine poisoning over the weekend).

I received my needles and syringes from American Livestock Supply...  For the sheep, we use the 3, 6, and 12 cc syringes as well as 18 and 20 gauge 3/4" needles.  I prefer the syringes with the Luer Lock tips - they have a "screw-on" type system that really help to keep the needles from pulling off...

I ordered Ivermectin Horse Wormers and Sheep Nutri-Drench from Valley Vet Supply.  The Nutri-Drench is an oral Vitamin and Mineral supplement for newborn or "down" lambs and it provides INSTANT energy.  It is great for lambs born on very cold days.

I received two boxes of products from Pipestone Veterinary Supply.  We usually order stuff from them a few times during the year...  I am suprised they don't send us a Christmas Card?!??!?

We received a 25# bag of Pipestone's Lamb Milk Replacer...  I really think this is an exceptional product and highly recommend it to other shepherds.  We hope that we don't have to use it, but it is something you can't wait for if you end up needing it so it makes sense to have a bag on hand.

We also bought a tub of Nursemate which is a "first milk" or "colostrum" replacer...  Again hoping NOT to use it!

There are two bottle nipples...  I think I mentioned that we "LENT" some out last year and they were never replaced.  They are pretty cheap so it is no big deal, but it just irks me when people don't follow through - (I know, get over it already Rich!!!)

We received a 2# bag of Deccox which we will mix in with our mineral to try to minimize the Coccidia in the barn during lambing (terrible tiny parasites that can cause diarrhea and possibly death in lambs).

There is a bottle of Iodine Spray for wounds and possibly newborn lamb navels...

AND for the first time this year...  A HUGE bottle of Chlorhexidine which is a very effective disinfectant that is gentle on the skin and safe.  Many shepherds are starting to use this in place of Iodine for navels as well as for disinfecting lambing tools, tattooing equipment, ear tags, and the like.  This is also used in human mouthwash so it must be relatively safe.  The more disinfected I can get, the better...  maybe I had better order some bleach!

When it comes to having animals, I think you need to work and hope for the best case scenario, but plan and order supplies for the worst case scenario.  Afterall, you don't need to be a Boy Scout to be prepared!!!!

More snow than I thought...

The blizzard continued all day and we ended up with more snow than I thought...

My well honed driving skills were not enough to keep me from getting the car stuck at the end of the driveway but we were able to walk it out with the truck.  On our way to town to get lunch we saw three cars stuck in snow drifts but we made it to town safely, ate to our hearts content, and came home to plow out the drives.

Is it spring yet???

Snow Day!

While the blizzard didn't bring us the massive pummeling of snow that some places have been hit with, we did wake up to a little accumulation of the white stuff and it is still coming down.

Based on the weather forecast, my workplace had decided to close for Wednesday and I did my best to clear the schedule for the day.  It was nice not to have to brave the ice and snow covered roads first thing this morning.

The animals seem to deal with the snow just fine.  We threw everybody some extra hay in order to provide more calories for them to burn and stay warm...  Personally, my calorie intake seems more than adequte to keep me warm in the coldest of conditions...

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm!  Once this snow stops we can get to work plowing!