I've taken it in my head that last few weeks to listen to the local morning Buy and Sell radio show. Well. I'm looking for bunk beds... and I found some sheep!! LOL. Well Baby sheep. And it wasn't easy. First I called them at got some more information. Age? (10 days) Sex? (one of each, turned out to be 2 males) Breed? (mostly hair breeds) Where they lived? (about 20 minutes from us) Cost? ($30 each and they ringed them and did tails and gave me enough replacer to last a day or so and a baby bottle to feed them with.) Then I gathered a bit more information. How much does an adult sheep eat per winter? ( 600lbs of hay for a 5 month winter) How long do you have to bottle feed them? (2 months or so) Can I switch them from sheep milk replacer to cows milk? (yes if I do it carefully and make sure there is lots of cream) Will they electric fence train? (yes better then goats) And yes the kids will love it and it'll be great for them. Then I took my wild card and shoved it up my sleeve, and Papa and I talked it through. Papa had a few good arguments but so did I and in the end we compromised on both sides and I was allowed to get sheep. Papa wasn't so keen on it but he's come around. I'm sure it helps that he gets to get another $100.00 International. Really a cheap price for a couple of years worth of sheep!! We drove out to pick the lambs up this morning. We had a great drive out there. We saw swans and Canadian Geese on the river ( I didn't bring my new camera and I'm still kicking myself.) and the sun was beautiful. On the way home we saw a grouse on a side road and got to watch it cross the road. R fell asleep so she napped the whole time. They had them ready for us when we got there and as soon as the kids got out of the Travelall the woman called them over to the carport. 'Oh they have got to come see this. They will love what we have here' she bubbled happily. So over we went. The two lambs following us at our heels. In the carport door we all stopped and stared!! PUPPIES!!! 8 registrable Border Collie puppies. They were about 4 weeks old and cute as can be!! Both Dad dog and Momma Dog were there and beautiful. And I was warned that these were working pups of working parents and not the kind of dog we want at all. All of which I could tell at 1st glance but was grateful for the reaffirmation! ( A dog is another thing I'm working at Papa for. I think we should get one this spring and he thinks we need to wait a year or two!!) Lambs forgotten the kids pet and cuddled and tumbled with the pups!! Which was probably a good thing as they ringed the lambs, tails as well, and gave them a shot of something and gave me a ton of directions :) They also promised to call me if they had another bummer lamb that was a ewe as I really wanted a ewe to keep and breed. Well I called the kids away from the dogs and we grabbed the lambs and put them in the dog crate in the back of my Travelall. Buckled everyone in, honked twice as directed to keep the dogs off the road, and we took our lambs for their 1st car ride. They did well. A bit of baaaa-ing but they settled right in. When we hit town we stopped in at Grandma and Grandpa F's house to show off our new critters. Then we headed up to Papa's work so he could see the new lambs. When we got to his work I got the boys out, handed them each a lamb and told them to go show Papa. SMILES so big!!! They proudly hauled those lambs into the shop and when I got there a bit later with the girls Papa had the lambs on his lap and J and L were telling him what they'd named their new lambs!! The black one J named Forrest the Black Lamb. The white with brown spots L named Snowball!! (and J tacks on 'the white lamb") The black one is half again as big as the white one and mostly Texel and Dorper. It was a Singleton and it's mother refused it. The white one is Katahdin and St. Crois and it was a triplet who's mom couldn't care for it. The black one is sassy and insistent and the white more laid back and shy. The whole time we were at Papa's shop E is asking me "Where is my lamb Momma?" (It took me several times to figure out what she was saying) Not broken heartily or anything. Just wondering and insistent. I think she just realized that there were only 2. Before with all the puppies I think she thought there was more. So I explained that there was only 2 and said to go pet L's. Ok. No problems. She's fine with that. Thankfully. I'm really hoping there will be another one as part of the deal Papa and I had was that I got to breed the ewe once and lamb her out!! I'm hoping by then we know if we really like having Lamb in the freezer and if it's worth the work etc to get it there. Also if we just plain old enjoy sheep. I'm pretty sure I will, unless something odd comes up, but Papa's not at all sure. I think the kids are 100% sure. They love them to bits. Now to work on that puppy.... :)
Note the fan and the bucket that are keeping the lambs in the entryway. They are living outside in a large dog crate and only came in to eat.
I've taken it in my head that last few weeks to listen to the local morning Buy and Sell radio show. Well. I'm looking for bunk beds... and I found some sheep!! LOL. Well Baby sheep. And it wasn't easy. First I called them at got some more information. Age? (10 days) Sex? (one of each, turned out to be 2 males) Breed? (mostly hair breeds) Where they lived? (about 20 minutes from us) Cost? ($30 each and they ringed them and did tails and gave me enough replacer to last a day or so and a baby bottle to feed them with.) Then I gathered a bit more information. How much does an adult sheep eat per winter? ( 600lbs of hay for a 5 month winter) How long do you have to bottle feed them? (2 months or so) Can I switch them from sheep milk replacer to cows milk? (yes if I do it carefully and make sure there is lots of cream) Will they electric fence train? (yes better then goats) And yes the kids will love it and it'll be great for them. Then I took my wild card and shoved it up my sleeve, and Papa and I talked it through. Papa had a few good arguments but so did I and in the end we compromised on both sides and I was allowed to get sheep. Papa wasn't so keen on it but he's come around. I'm sure it helps that he gets to get another $100.00 International. Really a cheap price for a couple of years worth of sheep!! We drove out to pick the lambs up this morning. We had a great drive out there. We saw swans and Canadian Geese on the river ( I didn't bring my new camera and I'm still kicking myself.) and the sun was beautiful. On the way home we saw a grouse on a side road and got to watch it cross the road. R fell asleep so she napped the whole time. They had them ready for us when we got there and as soon as the kids got out of the Travelall the woman called them over to the carport. 'Oh they have got to come see this. They will love what we have here' she bubbled happily. So over we went. The two lambs following us at our heels. In the carport door we all stopped and stared!! PUPPIES!!! 8 registrable Border Collie puppies. They were about 4 weeks old and cute as can be!! Both Dad dog and Momma Dog were there and beautiful. And I was warned that these were working pups of working parents and not the kind of dog we want at all. All of which I could tell at 1st glance but was grateful for the reaffirmation! ( A dog is another thing I'm working at Papa for. I think we should get one this spring and he thinks we need to wait a year or two!!) Lambs forgotten the kids pet and cuddled and tumbled with the pups!! Which was probably a good thing as they ringed the lambs, tails as well, and gave them a shot of something and gave me a ton of directions :) They also promised to call me if they had another bummer lamb that was a ewe as I really wanted a ewe to keep and breed. Well I called the kids away from the dogs and we grabbed the lambs and put them in the dog crate in the back of my Travelall. Buckled everyone in, honked twice as directed to keep the dogs off the road, and we took our lambs for their 1st car ride. They did well. A bit of baaaa-ing but they settled right in. When we hit town we stopped in at Grandma and Grandpa F's house to show off our new critters. Then we headed up to Papa's work so he could see the new lambs. When we got to his work I got the boys out, handed them each a lamb and told them to go show Papa. SMILES so big!!! They proudly hauled those lambs into the shop and when I got there a bit later with the girls Papa had the lambs on his lap and J and L were telling him what they'd named their new lambs!! The black one J named Forrest the Black Lamb. The white with brown spots L named Snowball!! (and J tacks on 'the white lamb") The black one is half again as big as the white one and mostly Texel and Dorper. It was a Singleton and it's mother refused it. The white one is Katahdin and St. Crois and it was a triplet who's mom couldn't care for it. The black one is sassy and insistent and the white more laid back and shy. The whole time we were at Papa's shop E is asking me "Where is my lamb Momma?" (It took me several times to figure out what she was saying) Not broken heartily or anything. Just wondering and insistent. I think she just realized that there were only 2. Before with all the puppies I think she thought there was more. So I explained that there was only 2 and said to go pet L's. Ok. No problems. She's fine with that. Thankfully. I'm really hoping there will be another one as part of the deal Papa and I had was that I got to breed the ewe once and lamb her out!! I'm hoping by then we know if we really like having Lamb in the freezer and if it's worth the work etc to get it there. Also if we just plain old enjoy sheep. I'm pretty sure I will, unless something odd comes up, but Papa's not at all sure. I think the kids are 100% sure. They love them to bits. Now to work on that puppy.... :) 
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