Big Game Hunt! Bag A 4-Horned Ram,But Not Here~

I found the video below on You-Tube. Big game hunt...4 horned rams! These guys hunted and bagged a 4 horn ram! I have a few of these eating alfalfa in back of my house....you will note I have a very BIG 4-horned ram wearing a black leather mask too. ( Goth would appreciate these guys not stalking him here)

Valkyrie, Ewe of Many Horns

This is Cedar Pond's Valkyrie [ B083-08 ]. She has 5 distinct and broad horns. Valkyrie is a ewe who , with the exception of her horns, looks very, very much like her mother and her mother's half sister. They both came from Bide-a-wee Jacobs in Oregon.
Here is Cedar Pond's Goth,[ D021-06 ] the father of Valkyrie. He has 4 very large and strong horns and is himself the son of a ewe who had 5 distinct and large horns. Her name is Cedar Pond's Tiara.[ C048-03 ]
Here is a picture of Valkyrie's mother, Bide-a-wee Buttercup [A088-06 ] pictured with last spring's lamb, sibling to Valkyrie. Both Buttercup and her half sister Chicory are the daughters of a ram ( Huntsberger Royal [FF095-03 ]) Karen Lobb and Doug Montgomery purchased from a flock of sheep that have a very interesting history . There is an article in a JSBA newsletter about this flock being rounded up on an island , Butter Island, off the coast of Maine after living there for a few years. They subsisted and thrived solely on what was growing on the island, proving to me that this primitive breed is well suited to living on land that could not adequately feed most modern and "improved" breeds of sheep today. Anyway, I digress, but hope to get back soon to post about this interesting bit of history regarding my favorite breed of sheep, and particularly MY sheep.

Here is Valkyrie at a few months of age.

As you can see, the last two photos show her distinct 5 horns, and the first photo was taken last month showing the horns are broadening and getting longer.As she is not yet 2 years old I think her horns are very large for a ewe and am curious about how the horns will fill her head and possibly fuse as the years go by.

I love the diversity of horns, spots, wool type and texture my flock of Jacob Sheep provide. After having Jacob sheep for almost 20 years now I am still not tired of having them and look forward to 20 more years with this remarkable breed of sheep.

Swallow Lane Barnaby, My New Ram!

This is Swallow Lane Barnaby, my new ram. He is still a lamb, but a very well-mannered ram lamb. He is very friendly and tends to snuggle up next to me as I wheel in the days' alfalfa. Isn't he handsome?
This is his first day here, where I confined him with Black Bart, my Welsh / Jacob cross wether. Since Barnaby got along well with Bart I knew he would do fine and dandy with the rest of the flock.
And he did! " When selecting a ram it becomes exceedingly important to choose one that has evenly balanced well spaced horns. The spacing of the bases of the horns is crucial to the direction of the adult ram's head. As the ram matures these horn core bases enlarge in cross section and can become so large in diameter they can impair a ram's hearing if they sweep back and around close to the ram's ears. This would also narrow the air space between the horn shaft and the cheek / or jaw bone. The horn will impair proper movement of the jaw or worse, penetrate the cheek and skull. It is for these reasons that only rams , whether two-horned or multiple horned , should be chosen that have wide sweeping horns in two and four-horned and flesh in between upper and lower bases..." Ingrid Painter~ Jacob Sheep In America

Barnaby seems to exemplify the most desired physical traits of a good Jacob Ram!

Red Dog Retrieves!

O.K. She is not red, but red-gold. Beatrix, my beloved and adoring Labrador retriever ( shown here with my hubby ) is fanatic about retrieving. All my Labs are! Below is a video of Beatrix retrieving a tennis ball from the lake at our family 4th of July celebration. This is one of many, many retrieves and often she swam quite far out into the lake, in the boating lanes, to dutifully retrieve the tennis ball. Beatrix's mother, sister, and fellow canines here at Cedar Pond ALL will throw themselves into any body of water or field to retrieve a mere tennis ball for me. I love my dogs, I love retrievers!

Wheelbarrow Baas

Oh, the sound of baas in the morning as the sheep await their feeding. If only this were the only time of the day this noise erupts. No, oh no! Every time they hear a wheelbarrow, and I mean EVERY time, they begin this cacophony of baas. Often, with hay in their mouths too.

Oh, the sheep , in their sheepy brains think, " I hear the wheelbarrow! Hay!!!! Baaaa!!!" And baa they do, as you can hear for yourself. Never mind their stomachs and mouths are full, the wheelbarrow is in motion! Kind of like the response a person gets with the sound of opening a candy package in the midst of a throng of children.

Enjoy our Wheelbarrow Baas!

Swallow Lane Torque, back from the taxidermist and hanging on the wall. Now we can admire his magnificent horns, without being in danger of being killed by them. Doesn't he look majestic?

My husband told the grandchildren the rest of him was in the bathroom behind his head..and they looked for the hindquarters! They are thankful Torque is no longer alive because they had reason to fear Torque, which is the number one reason he no longer lives!

Torque is the father of Cedar Pond's Goth, and Goth is still an average temperament ram. I would never trust him, but he does not trouble himself to try to kill me. As long as he remains a 'typical' ram, he does not need to worry about joining his father on the wall!

Goth's Daughters Venture Out...Wisconsin?

I'm going to Wisconsin? Yup! ( ewe lamb is from Bide-A-Wee Chicory & Cedar Pond's Goth)

You and your half sister ( Cedar Pond's Leah & Cedar Pond's Goth ) are embarking on an adventure with your new family. You get to help start a flock of Jacob sheep in Wisconsin! I am expecting you young ladies to be every bit as wonderful as your moms and may your sons have the awesome horns of your father, Goth! Be good girls, be productive girls...I will miss you.

Cedar Pond'sVandal

Cedar Pond's Vandal
born 4/9/2009 ( B013-09)
Cedar Pond's Goth ( D021-06) X bide a wee Chicory ( A087-06)

I took this picture of Vandal today. I am still amazed at his size since he is only 13 months old! Size wise and horn size too, he seems to be taking after his father, Goth. Vandal had a very beautiful and abundant fleece for a lamb too! I wish I could keep him, but he is so related to most of my flock....however, if he lingers here at Cedar Pond I think he will find a way to sire a few lambs in spite of my precautions, which could get him into a lot of trouble with his father.

Cedar Pond's Ruth

Cedar Pond's Ruth ( A050-08)
Cedar Pond's Goth ( D021-06 ) X Cedar Pond's Naomi (FF025-03)
born 2/4/2008

Ruth is the granddaughter of one of my favorite Jacob sheep, Ruth. Ruth, the grandmother was not registered, and she was pretty ugly. She endeared herself to me by being a sheep that had a sweet personality and a protective nature that lent itself towards protecting 'her' flock. In reading accounts of 'Leader Sheep', I believe Ruth could have been one. I am hoping similar attributes I am seeing in granddaughter Ruth will show her to be very much like her Grandmother. When I see her from afar it is like looking at a prettier version of Ruth. Granddaughter does not have the popped out eye, or antennae like horns of the old Ruth, but has the size and demeanor.

She has 4 horns, but the horns are fused. The two right and two left are becoming as one wide horn. Soon she will appear to have 2 thick horns.

Below is a picture of Ruth and her Mom , Naomi, just after being bathed to go to the fair.

Ruth, dead center, with the other 2008 lambs.

Cedar Pond's Naomi

Cedar Pond's Naomi (FF025-03) born 2/19/01

( FF025-03)Cedar Pond's Abel (Co83-99) & Cedar Pond's Ruth( unregistered)

~Naomi today. Naomi is the daughter of one of my favorite Jacob sheep, Ruth. Ruth is unregistered and she was originally destined to be culled, or killed , because of her split and popping-out eye. I have no pictures of Ruth even though she is one of my all time favorite sheep. Truthfully, Ruth was just plain ugly. Pop eye, buggy horns, dumpy demeanor and small. Really small. She never topped 60 pounds. Why oh why is she my favorite?

Ruth was just one of those sheep with a sweet personality, and possessed a fierce protective disposition regarding her young and her flock. Ruth would come along side any and all sheep in my flock who needed a protector. Think about it, a 50 pound ewe, protecting lambs and the outcast sheep from other sheep who were twice her size!

Eventually , Ruth produced the epitome of my ideal Jacob Sheep, her daughter Naomi. Perfect horns, disposition, and all around Jacob ideal. Here is Naomi...and I love her.

~This year she gave me a little ewe lamb. ~

Cedar Pond's Leah

~Cedar Pond's Leah~
Cedar Pond's Benjamin (B014-97) X Cedar Pond's Rachel (B253-97)
born 3/3/99

~Leah is one of those sheep I have just taken for granted. She is always healthy, an easy keeper, reliable. Good mother. In recording this for the blog I realized she is 10 years old! I think she has another 5 to 10 years left in her, easily! Leah often twins, this year she did not, but the ewe lamb she gave me is a keeper.

~Leah is ferocious in her protection of her lambs. She has never had lambing problems either.

~Leah has an average Jacob fleece. ~

~Leah just prior to lambing, soaking up the sunshine on a chilly day.~

~Leah loves apples, all kinds of browse and is very good at hogging the alfalfa. She is now one of the dominant ewes , and this dominance grants her the right to her fill of the best of the alfalfa first. I hope she does live another decade!

Cedar Pond's Abel

~Isn't he cute ? Abel is on the left , his horns are adorned with blackberry vines! ~

~Abel was oft to be found with greenery in his horns and I wonder of it was deliberate. I don't have any other sheep who will walk around for a day or more strutting green.
~Abel is a triplet, son of maple Creek Joy (B103-92 ) and Cedar Pond's Benjamin (B014-97)~

Maple Creek Joy

~This is Maple Creek Joy. She was born 2 / 29/ 1992. She is the daughter of Pinecroft Solomon (A081-91) and Pinecroft Judith ( A092-91). Joy was my first Jacob sheep and I bought her from Donna and Lorne Pierson. She lambed the spring after I bought her. Her first lamb here was Cedar Pond's Laban. 3 /10 / 94 ( Ao5-95 )

~Joy lived here until her death at 17 years of age.~

~Joy in the spring of 1999 with her triplets, 2 ewe lambs and a ram lamb. ~ ~ He is Cedar Pond's Abel (Co83-99).

Saying Good Bye to Ram Lamb

~This is the first lamb to leave home. He went home with a family just starting out with Jacob sheep. They are pretty excited about Jacobs and I sent them home with some information and resources that should be helpful. This ram lamb is a large lamb and his horns are looking pretty good. He is weaned and eating a LOT of alfalfa .....actually able to claim large portions of alfalfa and keep the other lambs and yearling ewes away while he eats his fill. That is why I decided he did not need his mom any more...and I think she is doing better without him, she might disagree. But after 1 day of separation she did not seem too distressed. Neither did he, for he had all the alfalfa he could eat and the best spot around to sleep in.
~The other reason I decided he needed to be sold was because he was butting heads with the wethers and older ewes and I was afraid he would damage his horns. He already knocked the left center horn a bit more sideways in his enthusiastic ramming.It WAS pointing north,like it's partner, perfectly straight! Hopefully he will grow and thrive and be the big ram he seems destined to be.
~His mother is Bide-A-Wee's Buttercup. She is out of one of the Bide-A-Wee ewes and a Huntsberger Ram, Huntsberger Royal. Buttercup is the ewe on the left, her half sister, Chicory is the ewe in the middle. I have a terrible time telling these girls apart, because even though they are only half sisters. They are almost identical in everything! Their lambs are very much alike too! And since they have managed to dislodge most of their I.D. tags I have been relying on older pictures to help make sure I am being accurate in recording data about them. I have never in 20 years had so much trouble telling any of my sheep apart. I keep wondering if it is the Huntsberger line, or if the Bide-A-Wee ewe moms were also identical enough to cause this extreme similarity....anyone know? And it is not just markings that cause me a bit of confusion...their mannerisms, baas, friendliness, etc. contribute to the similarities.

~Here is the lamb's sire, Cedar Pond's Goth. I have no trouble at all identifying him!~

Bunny Love

~This is Cupcake. We do not know where Cupcake came from. This bunny just showed up one day and moved in with my sheep. Our Granddaughter named the bunny 'Cupcake'.~

~This is Cupcake with Delilah, the lamb of Daphne, the object of Cupcake's affection. Or more correctly, the object of Cupcake's OBSESSION!~

~Cupcake~

Cedar Pond's Vandal

~Cedar Pond's Vandal. He is just 1 year old and very large for a Jacob yearling. I like his horns and markings. He looks like he has a smile painted on his face.

Jacob Lambs

~Doesn't this little ewe lamb(above ) look like she has painted a clown face on ? Here are the lambs, frolicking in the afternoon, while their moms are eating. They are so much fun to watch, and they cause me to realize, there is joy in the moment!~

Sheep Midwifery, Good Friends & Neighbors

~I am holding this little ewe lamb for Hubby to tag her ear and band her tail. She won't like this at all, but as soon as I put her back with her mother she will nurse and in a short while will be as frisky as she ever was. I need to get the new lambs tagged and banded before I take off for the weekend with my sisters. Hubby might need the lambing jugs ( temporary pens for mama and baby sheep for up to 3 days after lambing).I have 2 or 3 more ewes left to lamb and Hubby will probably need to have an empty pen for one or more of them. So as soon as this little ewe settles down after tagging I will release her and her mom out into the general pen, with the other sheep and moms and lambs.
~This morning I looked outside while sipping my coffee and noticed Naomi, one of my older ewes, behaving oddly. She is pushing against the shelter side panel. Hmmm....
~She passed a bit of birth matter and I eagerly awaited the gush of a new lamb ....I waited, and waited. Pretty soon she was laying on the ground and pushing some more. This went on for more than an hour, with intense contractions, grimacing, some baaing, pacing, and then repeating the whole thing again. To no avail. Uh oh.... I am home alone and there is no one to help me hold her, and check her out. But wait !
~ I have the best friends and neighbors....I hope for all of you such friends and neighbors. Dirt's family is wonderful in this kind of pinch! I call and they are home. Even though Lanny is sick, she grabs her girls and rushes right over. Bet and Anna help me corner Naomi, and while I hold her, Bet reaches into Naomi and feels out the situation. The lamb is big, and breech, but Bet is able to carefully manipulate the lamb into a good position and gently ease her out of Naomi. A big ewe lamb!
~Anna suctions the nostrils and inside the mouth, getting out the suffocating mucous, then firmly grabs the lamb and flings her in a circle around her ( Anna's ) head. This helps force the mucous out of the lamb. ( This works for newborn almost suffocatingly dead puppies and baby goats too)The trick to this procedure is to make sure the slippery baby does not fly out of your hands, I usually need to use a towel wrapped around the legs.
~At first, Naomi was tired and did not respond to her lamb. Oh no ! I am going away for the weekend and Hubby will have a bottle baby. I don't want a bottle baby. So we left the lamb and mom for a few minutes. When I came back, Naomi was cleaning her baby off....hip hip hooray!
~The baby was very noisy, baaing a lot, but not up and around. So I gave her some Nutri Drench, which is a nutritional supplement especially for distressed lambs, goats, sheep....and then I stood her up. She wobbled, and wavered, but she remained standing. She is going to be O.K.

~I am so thankful this did not happen while I was gone. I am so thankful my friend and her daughters could be here to help. I am so thankful the lamb and her mama are fine.~

~ I have kept Jacob sheep for about 18 years now and have only had to assist 3 or 4 sheep in all these years. Naomi is one of my favorite ewes and I would have been very, very sad to lose her and any of her lambs. Naomi is the daughter of one of my favorite ewes, Ruth. I will tell of Ruth sometime later. I loved Ruth......and now that Naomi is getting older I want to keep a pretty ewe lamb from her...

"There are numerous breeds of multiple horned sheep throughout the world. Of the eighteen breeds mentioned by A.R. Werner in 'An Enquiry into the Origin of the Piebald or Jacob Sheep", thirteen of them are known to have the polycerate trait ( many horns ). Many of the spotted, horned breeds of Europe had become extinct by the turn of the 20th century." JACOB SHEEP IN AMERICA by Ingrid Painter

Blessings: Good friends, healthy lambs AND their mothers