2015 Sales List

Have some nice ram lambs available this year, most are high percentage Bluefaced Leicester with a hint of Border Leicester a cross I have been very happy with and have been very productive and parasite resistant, most white and a couple of natural colored boys.  I also have 1 natural colored Bluefaced Leicester ram lamb (#158) available.

On the ewe lamb front, I have 3 Bluefaced Leicesters, 2 white, 1 natural colored.  I also have 3 BFL/BL crosses, same high percentage as the ram lambs, all white.

All lambs born late March through early April.

I'm thinning the flock this year so I also have 5 yearling ewes available.  Two are 50/50 BFL/Finnsheep crosses, 1 white, 1 natural colored, amazing fleeces.  One ewe is 3/4 BFL & 1/4 Rambouillet/Cotswold (white), really nice fleece with this cross, one of my favorites.  Last 2 ewes are the BFL/BL (high BFL %) cross, 1 white, 1 natural colored.

Price list:

Ram Lambs
Bluefaced Leicester (natural colored twin) ram lamb - $275
BFL/BL cross ram lambs (75/25) (twins & triplets, 1 single, white & natural colored) - $200

Ewe Lambs
Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs (2 white & 1 natural colored, all twins) $250
BFL/BL cross ewe lambs (75/25) (white, all twins) - $200

Yearling Ewes
BFL/Ramb./Cotswold cross (75/12/12) (white, twin) - $250
BFL/BL (75/25) (1 white, 1 natural colored, twins) - $250
BFL/Finnsheep (50/50) (1 white, 1 natural colored, twin sisters) - $300

Contact me if you are interested in a specific lamb and I can get more pics to you (jenfitzh20 at gmail dot com).

BFL/BL cross ram lamb

BFL ram & ewe lambs with mom

BFL/BL cross ewe lamb on left, BFL ewe lamb right front

BFL/BL yearling ewe

BFL/Finnsheep crosses when they were lambs (2014)

2015 Update

Yes, apparently I'm going to yearly updates...sorry about that!  So many things to do, so little time!  I'll try to be better about posting this year!

So this year I decided I wanted to shear the sheep myself.  Love my shearer but I wanted a bit more control over when I sheared so this was my solution.  I purchased a pair of used shears from Premier1 and sharpened all my scissors (just in case) and began with my beloved Flo. 

Now one thing that any shearer will tell you, the more spoiled and friendly a sheep is, the harder he/she is to shear.  No lie.  Flo wasn't about to dispel that belief either.  Why on earth I thought she was a good ewe to start with, I've no idea.  She bucked and jumped and rammed me a multitude of times and got a bit nicked up for her troubles.  But I got'er done.  Decided that what was working the best was to shear the nasty bits with the electric shears, because it doesn't matter if there are "second cuts" (spinners nightmare) and then finish up shearing the good bits with scissors since I'm fairly adept at that.  The only issue is keeping scissors sharp when shearing wool with them and I have yet to master sharpening scissors.  The other issue with scissors is the blisters that quickly develop on my fingers making it a tad painful.

I again made the mistake of choosing a feisty ewe, Anise, for my second attempt (part Shetland...nuff said).  Same plan worked on her and I could feel my confidence growing.  Until she jumped and knocked the shearers out of my hand, they landed head first on the concrete and the middle prongs on the comb broke.  Dangit!  Two sheep in and I've already busted the comb.  Oh well, they still cut, just leave a mohawk of wool down the middle.  I make do and finish up with the scissors again.  Two down....I don't want to think about how many to go.

Next ewe, Jill, was a champ.  I don't think she even flinched once so I thanked her by not cutting her at all...I think she was pretty appreciative :). 

I ordered new combs and some more cutters and finished up all the pregnant ewes in no time.  I'm getting much more comfortable with the shears and am developing a routine so I think this was a good decision despite my fear that I'd lost my mind after deciding to try this.  Once I'd bought the shears I was pretty much locked in to doing it as they cost as much as the shearer would have charged me to shear most of the flock so budget demanded I follow through with my plan.  I was happy that I was able to shear the girls just a couple of weeks before lambing started vs more than a month before or after.  Now I can finish up the rest of the flock during my time off for lambing.  Honestly I enjoy doing it, at least the ones that are cooperative.  Now if I could just convince my back, arms and hands that we enjoy it...

Lambing began yesterday with triplets from Jill, 2 ewes and 1 ram lamb.  Before lambing starts every year, you listen carefully for that lamb baa as you are walking towards the lambing paddock & shed.  Honestly I didn't think we were quite there yet so yesterday when I got home from work and started walking out to feed the ewes, I wasn't really expecting to hear that sound.  When I did, it stopped me in my tracks and immediately the eyes start scanning for lambs.  Jill had gathered them around the big hay bale.  It was drizzling and they were on the drier side all snuggled up and warm.  I gathered them up to take them in to a jug so they could stay dry and warm and I could get some warm molasses water and some grain and hay to Jill.  The 3 first timer ewes, Gladys, Glenys and Eleanor, all raced into the barn like a gaggle of teenage girls, you could almost hear them giggling as they hopped and tossed their heads with the excitement.  Its always fun to watch the first timers with their curiosity about what is going on with new moms and then the shock sets in when its their turn and that strange pain begins.  Then there is even more shock when they look back to see what has come from that pain....what the hell is THAT?!  I think Bridget and I will always remember watching Sadie lamb in the pasture one year and jump back from her new lamb after he shook his head flinging birth fluids.  Thankfully that maternal instinct kicks in pretty quickly...usually that is. I want to flog them when it doesn't which doesn't happen often (Evie, you hear that??).

So I'm hoping the remaining ewes decide to hold off for 1 more day (vacation starts) so I can be there for them if they need me.  I'll also try to remember to take some pictures during shearing (totally forgot during the first round) so we can see some befores and afters!

2014 Sheep for sale, Bluefaced Leicester & crosses

Below is a listing of adults and lambs available, purebred BFL and some crosses.  Can put a starter flock together for you if interested.  Please contact me for more details at jenfitzh20 at gmail dot com or in the comment section.  Located in NW Missouri.

Spring is coming and so are lambs!

Yes, its been a while.  My desire to write disappeared for a while.  But, its that time of the year, lambs will be coming soon and I love to share it.  Its a time when I get to sit out in the lambing shed and bond with the girls.  Honestly its one of my favorite times of year.

Aliza with her 2013 triplets

Its always fascinating to me to watch the hierarchy in play between them.  No one messes with Queen Aliza but she is a good queen (unlike some former queens).  She is fair but firm.  This is my spot, if you're in it, I'll politely paw your back and you will move.  Lucy has gotten a bit cranky in her old age and has resorted to ramming those that get too close (a streak of her mother Cybil in her).  The "second timers" have that resigned look about them.  Here we go again...I feel SO fat!  The first timers are the funniest.  I got a couple of Finnsheep 2 yrs ago and this will be their first lambing.  One, named Nutmeg, is like a dog and absolutely adorable.  She loves to cuddle, thankfully she's small lol.

Nutmeg

Her sis, Lily, doesn't know what to do with herself.  She flits from place to place, you can almost hear her question "what the heck is going on here people?! What is happening to us??"  The other first timers are familiar with the lambing shed, of course they were all born there, have memories of running and playing there so they're thinkin' this is pretty dang cool.  Grain, hay, nice fresh straw, what more could you want??

Then there is the massage time, the crowd gathers around me when I first go out and sit down.  Oh she's here she's HERE!  Scratch here...right here..oh yes, thats the spot.  Back rub please!!  Then Aliza arrives and the crowd parts.  She walks up to me, burps up the most fowl smelling cud and chews it like a 5th grader with a wad of bubble gum.  "You doin' back massages?  No?  Well you are NOW :)!"  Lucy waddles over and all I need to do for her is stick my hand out, she does the rest.  She just likes head scratches, don't touch her back, she doesn't like back massages.  Claire isn't demanding, she is just sweet.  A nice cheek rub, scratch between the shoulders and she's good.

Then they all lay down, adjusting bellies so they can breath.  Lips curl with the discomfort and sounds of gurgling bellies and rising cuds fill the air.  Ahhh, its almost lambing time :)!

Bella with her adoring fans :)

Sales List - 2013

Hello all, hope summer is treating you well so far!  Just got 2" of rain in the past 2 weeks here so I'm happy as a clam!  Lambs are growing beautifully, I'm very pleased with the way they're coming along this year.

I'll be selling a few adult & yearling Mule ewes this year, 1 BFL adult ewe and as well as most of the 2013 lamb crop.  All lambs this year are out of my new BFL ram, Somerhill Xray (twin).  Xray is sired by Llwygy 3772 - X1 UK (twin) and Somerhill Ballad 2323 (single) is his dam.  Xray is tested RR, most resistant to scrapie.

I got a lot of nice lambs out of Xray (aka Ray) this spring and my ewe lamb percentage, for the first time, exceeded my ram lamb percentage. Ray's fleeces sold for a (DreamCatcher) record breaking $24 per lb and the buyer said "This is a once in (my) lifetime kinda fleece!" and included this pic of some washed locks:

Wow!  Look at that sheen!

Finally!!!

As most of you know, I have been about to pull my hair out this past week waiting for lambs.  I was expecting Miss Aliza to start the season last week or even sooner but she decided April 4th was the day...or maybe I should say the 3 Stooges decided for her.  Of course they are adorable but I couldn't help think of them as such because #1 came backassward, #2 was trying to push his way out next to #1 and #3 decided only 1 leg was necessary to make his exit.  Sheesh, talk about diving into the deep end.

Lambs are a coming!

Lamb watch officially began tonight!  Fresh load of straw and alfalfa was delivered, jugs are up and filled with straw.  Grabbed my cuppa tea and watched as they all trotted into the lambing shed and pasture delighting in the tiny sprigs of grass in the  new pasture and of course had to go in and christen the fresh straw.

The ewe lambs are still in with the ewes so it was beyond amusing to watch them run around like a clique of teenage girls, leaping and kicking up their heels.  You could almost hear the squeals as they all ran from the lambing shed after seeing an imaginary threat of some kind.

The ewes are filling out for sure, the waddling has begun in earnest.  Every year I watch Evie for signs of motherhood and every year I think I see it.  Again this year, she has no real bag development but she is big as a house.  More than likely its just all the grain and alfalfa she has been lucky to be in on but I can still hope can't I?

So I just left them all still munching on the tiny bits of grass.  I love that sound of contented munching.  Is it nuts that I want to go back out and spend the night in the barn?

The new "Hay Station" and shearing & lambing!

So once again this year, I'm at it again with the hay.  Fiddling around, trying to figure out how to keep the girls not only clean(er) but on all 4 feet when grass is no longer an option.

Packing fleeces for shipping

Hello everyone, long time no talk!  Yes, its been a loooonnng, hot, dry summer and I apparently didn't feel like talking about it :).  Well, today I actually had to turn on the heat in my car on the way home from work and I'm looking forward to firing up the gas stove tonight!  Nothing like putting a chill in the air to make me chatty apparently lol.

It has been my intention to post the blog some time ago but well, I got distracted (whats new!).  Last spring when the fleeces were flying out the door, I decided to take some pics of my process of packing a fleece up for shipping.  When I first started doing it, mostly to the processor, I had no clue how to fit a room full of fleece into a couple of boxes.  I asked around, got some advice from some helpful processors and fellow shepherds that got me through.  I'm a visual person though so I thought it might be helpful to others to see how I do it.  I've got it down to a fine art too!  What used to take me hours now takes me a few minutes! So here we go.

Growing lambs! (lots of pics)

Lambs are growing like crazy, some are even hard to distinguish from the adult Shetlands when you are just looking out into the pasture. I'm starting to kick myself for banding everyone, there are some mighty nice looking boys out there.  Oh well, can't undo that!

This may be part of the reason why they're growing so nicely this year.  GRAIN. I read about people using chicken feeders for creep feeders so I thought I'd give it a try.

Lambing 2012

Another lambing done!  We had a couple of unfortunate losses and 1 bottle baby but overall, I'd say it was success.  As always it was tough to plan my time off so that I could be here during the bulk of the lambing so Bridget's week saw a good portion of the deliveries.  So here is her take on her week of lambing.

Naked sheep...

Oh how I do love me some naked sheep...no I'm not perverted lol. 

 

New addition to the flock & shearing!

No Donna don't get excited, Aliza didn't lamb lol.


No, the new addition to the flock won't be grazing in the pasture, nor will she be getting sheared on Sunday...or any other day.  Our new addition is all the way from Germany...drum roll please!

Heartworm

Just a heads up to all those with dogs in your lives...

Is it winter yet??

Wow, I hate to jinx myself but this winter has been a piece of cake!  Does anyone remember a winter like this before??  I can remember some with very little snow but these mild temps are just just crazy.  I still have GREEN GRASS!!  I was walking thru the barnyard last night when I looked around and it dawned on me, this is January, nearly February and there is still green grass here.  Granted its not growing nor is there any green left in the pastures but still, its nuts seeing green grass in the yard and barnyard this time of year.

Bridget being greeted by Bella and Evie

Long overdue update

(I actually typed this up last fall and meant to get some pics attached and never did.  Hate to waste it so here it is, better late than never :)

Its been a long hot summer and had a short dry fall, looks like winter is not far away. Thankfully we've received some much needed rain in the past month.  Still not back to where we need to be but better than it was.  Pastures are gone for the most part and we've already fed 50 bales of hay.  Shocking since I've not fed that much hay before January in the past 4 yrs.

2011 Ram Lambs & Adult Rams For Sale

This year I am pleased to say we have really nice 3 purebred BFL ram lambs to offer!

First up, the boy I'm infatuated with, DCSFF Logan. He is out of Bitterroot Aliza and DCSFF Theodore.  Logan is a twin, his sister is natural colored. Logan already has a beautiful fleece on him as well as a clean head and belly and nice conformation and good blue coloring.  He also has a really nice temperament taking after his very social mum :). You're really going to have to pry this boy out of my hands...

Logan

Next up are twins Tristan and Simon.  They're also out of DCSFF Theodore and their dam is Foreside Daylight .  They too already have nice fleeces that look like they're going to have some good length to them.  Their dam's fleece is one of my top sellers, its soft with great definition. 

Tristan (sold)

Simon (sold)

Now I have 2 crossbred rams to offer.  First would be the infamous "Tank".  He was nearly as big as his mother when he was born (19.8 lbs) and hasn't stopped growing since he hit the ground.  I do believe his initial large size was due to too much pre-lambing grain (my bad) but he has only seen grain briefly as I put them on pasture shortly after he started eating creep so all the growing since then is all him!  He's a beautiful boy, nice head, beautiful fleece and a sweet temperament.  If you're looking to add natural colored BFL with just a touch of Border Leicester to your flock, he's your man...err..ram!  Tank is out of DCSFF Olivia (3/4 BFL & 1/4 BL) and my beloved Roark from Herbal Maid Fiber Farm (also 3/4 BFL & 1/4 BL).  Roark has been with me since the beginning and he has always had one of the nicest fleeces on this farm.  His offspring carry that trait and Tank is no exception.  You can't see it in this pic but he has a nice BFL head and at a mere 10 wks old, this boy is already "very well equipped" :).

Tank (sold)

Last but not least we have DCSFF Dylan.  He is out of HMFF Roark (3/4 BFL & 1/4 BL) and DCSFF Rose (1/2 Shetland & 1/2 BFL).  I've had really good luck with my Shetland/BFL crosses.  The lambs grow very nicely are very hardy and have nice fleeces.  This is the first time I've offered a Shetland/BFL cross ram lamb but Rose has proven to be a great ewe, producing twins each time with nice fleeces and good worm resistance so I thought we'd offer one incase anyone was interested in this cross.

Dylan (sold)

I will also be offering Theodore (Teddy) this year, as well as Sammie (same sire as Teddy, dam is a Potosi ewe), a purebred natural colored BLF.  Roark (3/4 BFL & 1/4 BL) will be available as well as I've had him for 4 yrs now so its time for some new blood (snif snif).  Roark has outstanding fleece and has always been a reliable ram with excellent worm resistance.  His fleece is the first one out the door (sometimes before I can object lol).

For more info and pics of any of the above, just let me know! 

Jennifer

Growing like weeds!

The lambs are getting big so I wanted to share some pics of them with you!

Logan

Back pasture burn

Well, we did it, we burned the back pasture!  OK, so we hired someone to burn the back pasture ;).  If you read my post about prescribed burns then you know we'd been planning to burn the back 25 acre pasture...for a while.  We finally got the courage up to get it done and wisely called a professional to do it.

Our Flying Nun

You all may remember Thomas, one of our goat additions from last summer.  Thomas is a Pygora which is a cross of Angora and Pygmy that produce a cashmere like fiber (depending on the goat) but stay smaller than the average goat.  Sounds like fun right?  So cute! Yeah.  Fun. Cute.