May has been busy here on the farm. Lambing started April 20 but has been pretty spread out, and just now near mothers day the fatigue has started to set in. Although I love lambing season there are triumphs and dissapointments
This ewe Ruby Peak Iris was born on the farm in 2002. She has been one of my favorites for years, with her lovely lilac spots and perfectly spaced and shaped 4 horns. This will probably be her last lamb, as despite great nutrition and large lambs this year she suffered a life threatening case of Hypocalcemia after lambing, She and I are happy to celebrate her lovely ewe lamb, but I guess she will join the retirement flock rather than risk any more lambing issues.
Another proud older momma is Ruby Peak Petunia, born here in 2003. Although she has done great raising her healthy and beautiful triplets, she has developed arthritis in her joints and moves slowly and painfully. My retirement flock grows!!
Some lambs may not look like perfect examples of the Jacob Breed at first but day by day each of them catches your eye for one reason or another. That perfect fleece, those amazing markings, the incredible horn set.
Or as in this young fellow with those blue eyes contrasted by the black patches( Ruby Peak Clover x Mud Ranch Vincent) This is one of my favorite looks, and I would love to be able to breed a 4 horn that had these characteristics!!
Or as in this young fellow with those blue eyes contrasted by the black patches( Ruby Peak Clover x Mud Ranch Vincent) This is one of my favorite looks, and I would love to be able to breed a 4 horn that had these characteristics!!
I do love the two horns as well, and have really found the look I want in my ewe flock. I love these wide sweeping horns, they are large but still " feminine" and fitting for a ewe. Aspen presented me with two lovely ewe lambs by Shadow Mountain Flash this year. She was born in 2012 and is just starting her career as a breeding ewe for Ruby Peak. She also has an amazing soft crimpy fleece with long staple. Not a perfect ewe...but I love her
All the other animals on the farms are at work as well, except perhaps the horses. The long nights, early mornings and intermittent rainstorms have gotten in the way of riding. Soon though I will be back in the saddle only 3 more ewes to lamb!
the chickens are laying like crazy and happy to be free range chickens searching for bugs and worms!
When one of them finds something really special they make a little alarm sound and the others run over to investigate. I don't really want to know what it is they find to eat, but it all makes for delicious eggs. These are Black Copper Marans, which lay very dark brown eggs
The old barn cats, Casey and Mittens are happy to take a break from a night of mousing
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And this little lamb was born just 6 hours ago at 3 AM this morning. He is tired too. The lambs fit just right in the black rubber feed pans, and love to snooze away in them. I am off for a snooze too, just in case there is a 3 AM wake up call again tomorrow morning!
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