Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Can't keep up!

My first two yearlings lambed last night....ShelteringPines Nessebar (Sheltering Pines Starry Starry Night x Sheltering Pines Morgan Le Fey) and Sheltering Pines Myra (Sheltering Pines Starry Starry Night x Canosia Farm May).

When I got home from work last night I noticed a cow with her water bag out. It was one of my dad's seasoned cows, so I didn't think it would be long to wait for the calf. I then went and checked the ewes. Hmm.... a few are acting 'suspicious' but I've had that run around before so I was checking for girls who weren't chewing their cud and were off by themselves. Nessebar (a smirslet gray katmoget) was off inside the shelter by herself. Great. now I need to run back and forth from the calving pen to the lambing pen :) Nesse seemed in no hurry so I went to watch the cow. Great. She saw me and stands up. Her water breaks. She lays down over the crest of a small hill where I can't see her behind. There is no pushing and all of a sudden two big bellows which makes the rest of the herd run to her aid. She stands up and turns around. Hmm...no feet. He must have been born? I ran over an there is a gorgeous dark cherry red bull calf! I'm so jealous dad! :) I go to make sure he is breathing ok and momma is getting some help from the other girls in cleaning him off. Good...because its getting chilly out.

Ran back to the lambing pen. Nothing. Ok I'll go grab supper quick. Ran back out and Ta-dah! She has a black krunet ram lamb! He is out of Jazz. Jazz is homozygous black so that was no surprise but a ram? i have enough thank you! He has very straight dog hair like fleece, although it IS soft. All my lambs have been really soft this year.

I jug her up and bring the rest of the girls in. Rahu, Dixie Cup, Eliza.....all look suspicious, but I've been known to jug too early and guess wrong. I noticed Myra was starting to stand by herself although she was still chewing her cud. I go to check her at 11 pm and I"m completely exhausted. Honey you'll have to be on your own, as this shepherd is just too pooped out! I awake at 6am to find her in the middle of the pen with the most gorgeous lamb! I could see the horn buds from MILES away, in the poorly lit barn! He has the most amazing crimp and is a gorgeous dark gray katmoget. He gives the AI boys a run for their money for structure and fleece. Momma is a fawn katmoget so the boy carries moorit atleast. he COULD be homozygous Ab/Ab but won't know until we test breed him. There we go...already planning breeding groups :)

Photos after work! I promise!

And yes I still have to blog about the National! :)

2 comments:

Nancy K. said...

I'm so glad that it's you and not me!

;-)

Rayna said...

YOu've been known to jug too early, huh? Nah, not you.....:P

A long time coming!

 It has been a long time. Too long in fact. We lost access to our farm website and ebonwald website when WEBS.COM was closed by VistaPrint. ...