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Post by desertwoman on Feb 17, 2016 12:04:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the explanation oliverman. I had assumed sheep only reproduced once a year.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Feb 17, 2016 12:34:52 GMT -5
these are hair sheep, so they shed their coats naturally I thought sheep were all the same, having thick wool that needed to be sheared annually or semi-annually. So do you sell the calves, OM, or raise them for eventual lamb production? 25 seems like a lot. My family said I shoulda grown up on a farm cuz I loved visiting my aunt and uncle and was always in the barn or out with the stock, chicken or cows.
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Post by oliverman on Feb 17, 2016 13:41:47 GMT -5
pagardner, all of ours are various levels of crosses between Katahdin and Dorper. All sorts of different colors. Hair sheep are common in the Africa and other areas with warmer climates. They still grow a thick winter coat, but it sheds naturally. lilolpeapicker, the majority of our bull calves (males) are sold after weaning for eventual beef production. A few are sold for breeding purposes, but artificial insemination using frozen semen is much more common for wider ability to select the right genetics for each mating, as well as safety issues. A few heifer calves (females) are destined for beef production if they are not suitable for breeding purposes, but most of the heifer calves are sold as breeding stock or saved as replacements for mature cows that are no longer productive or die. One of the unfortunate realities of being a livestock farmer, is despite our best efforts, sometimes animals die anyhow. SpringRain🕊️, indeed, we must find a suitable substitute to take care of the animals in order to take a vacation. Fortunately, mom and I live under a mile apart, so one of us can do all of the chores. We can't all go on vacation at the same time. Someone needs to take care of the animals at least once per day every day, no matter what the weather or how we feel. I have a few new pictures from this morning. We had a set of twins born late last night, and another set born this morning. I managed to snap a few pictures before I came in for lunch. The brown ones are just a couple hours old.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Feb 17, 2016 16:44:26 GMT -5
Neat....that's got to be the best part of the farm... It would for me anyway.
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Post by oliverman on Feb 19, 2016 11:03:56 GMT -5
Yes, new babies are always pretty exciting. Watching the miracle of birth is remarkable. It never ceases to amaze me how live was created so that the young are born into a completely new environment and are up and about within a matter of minutes. Though the deaths that are inevitable if a person has livestock for an extended period of time are an often unpleasant reminder of how fragile life is. I think that us farmers too often only share the happy pictures and thoughts with the general public for fear of judgement over how we handle calamities. Certainly don't want to be viewed as one of those "cold heartless folks who only see animals as dollars in the bank." Unfortunately, this leaves the general public with a romanticized view of farm life that does not account for the fact that there are those moments where it is a bloody hell and a farmer feels like a failure for not catching a problem in time or simply being unable to do the impossible. Not that I don't absolutely love my vocation, but there are those days where I need remember the joys and successes of the past or future because of how bad things look in the moment. Well, enough of my little rant. I just had one of those days seeing both ends of the spectrum in the same morning, so these thoughts are on my mind. For those of you who want to see more pictures that my wife takes, you could check out our farm Facebook page. www.facebook.com/blusteryknollfarm
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Post by OregonRed on Feb 19, 2016 11:25:58 GMT -5
very fun to read and learn about, thanks for posting.
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Post by lisaann on Feb 19, 2016 19:37:32 GMT -5
I just had one of those days seeing both ends of the spectrum in the same morning, so these thoughts are on my mind. And you said it all in a sentence. And that sentence conveyed to us EXACTLY what you mean and FEEL............. Thanks.
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Post by restless on Mar 3, 2016 20:00:19 GMT -5
Great photos Oliverman. I like the black lamb with the white star on its head.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 6, 2016 15:14:45 GMT -5
All done with the calving, OM?
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Post by oliverman on Mar 13, 2016 23:15:34 GMT -5
Calving is a year round thing here, so never really done. The lambs we have on a much more syncronized schedule. One more ewe and the main lambing group is done. Then next month we have a few maiden ewes that will be lambing. After that, there will be none until October or so. I suppose I should add some more pictures. Current tally is 39 lambs from 20 ewes since Valentine's day.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 14, 2016 10:46:34 GMT -5
Whoa, you have been busy! Look at those lil' darlings! Beautiful
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 14, 2016 17:50:50 GMT -5
oh my goodness, they are so darn cute. I'd be naming them and then I'd have a hard time selling them. how many sheep and cattle do you have, oliverman? And is that considered a small or large or average herd?
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 14, 2016 20:02:49 GMT -5
oh my goodness, they are so darn cute. I'd be naming them and then I'd have a hard time selling them. I feel the same way and if you think that those pics are cute DW, you should check out the link posted above to his Facebook page. There are videos of the babies romping about. Talk about cute!!!!!
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Post by oliverman on Mar 14, 2016 23:46:20 GMT -5
desertwoman, we have about 30 breeding age ewes. Counting lambs, there are 74 all together at the moment. Our goal is to get up to around 200 ewes within 2-3 years. They are cute, but not as much so at market age. And they are what pays the bills, so that is how it goes. The service they provide is something I have a deep respect and appreciation for. In this world the cycle of life is such that the death of every creature assists the life of another. On that note, anyone who has not tried lamb chops is missing out. If we ever have a club OGC cookout, I will share. As for cows, we have about 65 breeding age cows with each having one calf annually. Since calves are born throughout the year and sold at 6-12 months of age, there are usually 30-50 of them around at any given time too. I do update our Facebook page fairly often. It is meant to be a marketing tool, but is mostly serving to educate friends and acquaintances about farming at the moment. Maybe sometime it will attract customers too.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 15, 2016 9:26:58 GMT -5
They are cute, but not as much so at market age. And they are what pays the bills, so that is how it goes I do understand that animals are raised for food and I am happy that you raise them in such a humane manner. I DO eat meat (mostly chicken) but I am somewhat of a hypocrite in that I could not raise and butcher it myself. I am OK if someone else does it and I don't have to see it's face! I have never eaten a lamb chop. Maybe I'll get brave and buy some one of these days. Any recommendation on cooking methods for a first time lamb chop eater?
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