Blitzen is a wether ( castrated ram lamb ) . His side horns are growing too near his face and need to be kept trimmed to prevent them from growing into his face. Castrating a ram prevents not only the obvious, but also dramatically slows down his horn growth, making it manageable to keep the horns trimmed. We decided to keep and halter train him because he has a really sweet and friendly personality. He likes being around people, and having a few soda crackers to offer him only encourages him all the more.
This is Tasha, she is a lilac Jacob Sheep. She has funny horns, kind of like bug antennae !
Naomi is my very old sheep. I stopped breeding her 2 years ago when she began needing assistance for her lambings, and raising her own lambs took so much out of her I could watch her condition deteriorate even with increased food rations. My ram , Tonkin, is pretty interested in her, you can see him behind her on the other side of the fence.
Sassafras is a spunky sheep with a primitive wool coat. She grows a mane , a trait of the more primitive Jacob Sheep. She is a very good mama .
Teekah is the lamb I chose in a trade for a ram I wish I could have kept , Barbarian. Barbarian is thriving at his new home and Teekah is a good trade I think. Love the spot near her right horn and her little spotted mouth making her appear to smile.
As the weather gets colder my sheep are more frisky. On cool sunny days they run around and leap over logs and each other. Soon I will have them sheared and in late February through April I look forward to new lambs!
I am participating in a
Blog Hop via
*Homeacre Farm Hop , and hope you click on this link and check out all the wonderful and helpful blogs about all things homesteading & farming.
Nothing better than a great 4 horn wether. We reserved one this year and he is so sweet. Love the little lilac girl. No lambs for us this year. It will be a sad spring but hopefully a restful one.
ReplyDeleteI know the years for no more breeding of my sheep are coming soon and I know I will miss the lambs especially. But yes, a restful spring appeals to me more every year.
DeleteI a going to halter train Blitzen to be my husband's Christmas partner. My husband is Santa during the holidays and we don't have reindeer, but a sweet horned sheep should be pretty nice.
What interesting sheep! Thank you for sharing your post on the HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you again tomorrow! - Nancy
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I will try to participate as often as I am able. ( Thank-you ! ) I find that being the sole keeper of my sheep & poultry keeps me very busy and often I am bone-tired after my day of cleaning the sheep & poultry pens, so tired I go to bed and neglect answering or commenting on my own blog. I love HomeAcre Hop and optimistically plan on participating , and thank-you !
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