October 3rd 2007

Everyone was wormed this past weekend. Just trying to make sure everyone is in prime shape for breeding. I'm planning on breeding 3 of the 7 ewes. Since they usually twin, six lambs will be enough for me to handle this spring. I'm hoping to sell at least 4 of the 6 so as not to make my flock too big, too soon. 10 is manageable and my buildings can currently support a few more, but after that, my husband and I will need to build another barn or add on to the existing one. My husband built a sheep stand for me. It works pretty well, but the sheep aren't too happy about having get on it. But it really makes life more simple for me. I'm really thankful Mark is so handy and supports my dream. Here is a picture of the stand he made. I think it's pretty cool. It's attached to a hyraulic lift that raises the sheep by pushing a handle with my foot, leaving both hands available to comfort and hold the sheep. To let it down, a handle in front lets the sheep down smootly and slowly. Plus the total cost was about $200, not counting his time- 2 weekends. The same type of unit is over $450 from other manufacturers. Plus it's on wheels and I can easily transport it wherever I need to.

We're going to tweak the headpiece a little, to make it more comfortable for the sheep. But other than that, all is good.

I'm hoping for mid April to mid May lambs. I can't wait to see them in the spring. It will be interesting to see what they look like. I still have fleeces that need to be cleaned then I'm sending them out to be spun, as I don't spin yet....

Until next time, blessings to all.

Lisa Foss

Marilla, NY