8 Days Left

Although it's a matter of weeks now before this picture of summer pasture becomes reality, winter just won't let go yet.

 

So far today we've had drizzle, hail and high winds. Tomorrow the high will be 52 according to the weather forecast.

 

We can hope.

 

In the meanwhile, the girls are all doing well, and enjoying their grain rations with great relish.

 

Evening rations

 

At this time the girls are getting 20 pounds of grain daily.  The only time the sheep get grain is during the last four weeks of gestation and the first four weeks of lactation. I start by feeding a half pound per ewe per day for the first week and increase the amount by a 1/2 lb each week until the ration is 2 pounds a day per ewe. This provides them with the extra nutrition they need, since their ability to take in enough nutrition from hay and grass is compromised due to the space the lambs are taking up.

I like to mix my own rations, for no particular reason aside from enjoying it, and so they get whole corn, whole oats, soybean meal and loose minerals.  Plenty of water, unlimited access to second cut hay and whatever grass they can find at this point.  Healthy lambs start with sound nutrition for the dam, as does ample milk supply and rapid recovery.

My experience has been that once the lambs are born and the dam is nursing them, its as if their resistance to parasites is lowered and I find symptoms of Hoemoncus Contortus, ( Barber Pole ) worm within a short time frame from lambing. Once wormed, that seems to put the problem of parasites to rest and no further treatment is necessary.

Today will be a day for working on getting the lambing jug prepared. Cleaning out, rebedding and moving the two ewes closest to lambing are all on the agenda for the next week. Lambs will be here before we know it!

Regards,
Kathryn

January 17, 2014

Coyote, Deer, Turkey Habitat
 

Among the worries that plague me as a shepherd, is the concern for predators.


We live in an amazingly rural area, surrounded by thousands of acres of forest. The thrill of this is to witness forms of wildlife the mainstream will never see.

The flip side is that every body has to eat, and the wildlife is no exception.

We have coyotes here, the wolves being removed by DEC decades ago.

Our coyotes however are a hybrid of coyote and wolf cross so they are larger than your average coyote. This isn't just my opinion but scientific fact. Wildlife biologists have actually examined the DNA and determined that at some point the coyotes and wolves intermingled leaving a unique animal as their legacy.

We know there are coyotes, as we have seen them, and certainly have heard them though not lately with the windows closed.

In the seven years we have had sheep, the coyotes have never threatened them so far as I can determine, though they are always nearby.

Other farmers in the area have complained of coyote attacks on their livestock but here we are blessed with coyotes who find their sustenance among the small creatures that abound, and not with our lambs. This allows us to live peaceably enough and truth of the matter is that I personally find the coyotes to be awe inspiring wild things who are mysterious, a bit dangerous and altogether wonderful. I would hate very much to have to resort to hunting them and I am pleased to have lived this long in their presence without complaint.

We have evidence of them being very close to the house and have been awoken in the pre-dawn hours by howling that I would have sworn was just under the bedroom window.

Having discussed their presence and habits with wildlife biologists the advice we received was thus:
If they aren't bothering the livestock then leave them alone. Shooting them opens the way for coyotes from other packs, possibly with experience in killing livestock, to fill the empty place left by having shot a coyote who wasn't a problem.  Rather than allowing that to take place, we have opted to live with the "devil we know" until such time as may be necessary to take action against a coyote or several with a taste for lamb, if ever.

In the scheme of things, I'm more worried about my fellow man being a problem than I am the coyotes.

Regards,
Kathryn

Choosing a Breeder

Wowza!

Cold and raw today.  Snow flurries. A good day for the wood stove. Winter is making its presence known.

Now is the time that most shepherds are putting their breeding groups together and this leads me to a discussion of Finnsheep breeders in general.

There are two organizations for Finnsheep here in the U.S.

The first and oldest of them is The Finnsheep Breeders Association:

www.finnsheep.org

There are 50 breeders listed throughout the 50 states. Fossil Creek Farm is NOT listed though we are indeed members.

Then there is the second Finnsheep breeders group. This group is newer and has a different focus than the first. We are listed in the breeders directory with IFR.

http://www.internationalfinnsheepregistry.org/

There are 40 breeders listed there and we are included in that directory.

Our farm, like many,  has dual memberships with both registries.

Since Finnsheep are a relatively little known breed in the US, with a small population of purebred, registered animals compared to other breeds, many of the breeders listed in either directory are newbies, such as myself.

Choosing a breeder to supply animals for your flock means that depending on your location and your budget you might choose to buy from a long standing experienced breeder or a knowledgeable, passionate but new breeder.

Registered Finnsheep breeding stock can range between $200.00 - $800.00 depending on the shepherd and the various qualities present in the sheep.

Almost all breeders, established and new, breed for the usual things.

• Confirmation ( breed standard )
• Fleece quality
• Temperament
• Maternal instinct
• Parasite resistance

Not necessarily in that order.

Some breeders focus on Scrapie resistance. Scrapie being a deadly disease that if detected will result in confiscation and euthanizing of a breeders entire flock. Scrapie is similar to "hoof and mouth " disease. For the most part, the USDA seems to think it much less of a threat than in previous years.  . Animals with an inherent resitance to Scrapie will have RR or QR blood types. These animals are usually at the higher end of the price scale and appeal to commercial flock shepherds.

All breeders start their flocks with bloodlines from an established flock. Through strategic pairings of various animals, new bloodlines are established, particular to that shepherd, but essentially the foundation animals have common ancestors in their lineages.

Some shepherds raise sheep as a commodity, others as a passion. Some for commercial purposes, others as fiber pets. Some for a livelihood, others for the shear joy of it.

What's important in selecting a breeder is that he/she knows and understands your flock goals and suggests animals that are suited to those goals as opposed to selling you an animal they no longer want.

Most flocks have a few culls - animals which for one reason or another do not fit the breeders criteria as breeding stock.

Different breeders manage culls differently. Some will keep them and breed them anyway which can often result in diminished quality of the flock in general. Others will neuter the rams and sell them as companions or fiber pets. Many go to auction and/or directly to the freezer which assures their genes will not eventually find their way into the pool and keeps the integrity of the breed intact. Its possible that a cull might appeal to a buyer if that buyer doesn't intend to breed, but use the animal strictly for fiber or meat.

Whether you are thinking of purchasing from an experienced and well established breeder, or a new and passionate breeder it pays to do your research before hand and be up front with your flock goals.

Talk with several breeders, visit the online breeder organizations and learn what the breed standard is, the organizations' mission is, and what your own goals for your flock are to be.

Your potential breeder should be willing to mentor you and your flock as you become established, via phone, emails and in person if feasible. This may or may not reflect in the cost of your foundation animals.

Membership to one or both of the breed organizations will be helpful. A point to consider here though is, the International Finnsheep Breeders Registry is not reciprocal with the Finnsheep Breeders Association. If you buy animals registered through IFR, they are in effect the same as unregistered as far as the FBA is concerned. So, if you choose IFR animals they will not be appealing to people who favor membership with FBA. At this time I do not believe dual registry is an option for IFR animals.

You can register FBA animals with IFR and achieve dual registry in that manner, but IFR animals are not registrable through FBA. This is a consideration and one which should be carefully weighed when you determine your flock goals.

Regards,
Kathryn

November 4, 2013

 Breeding season is upon us.

Finnsheep can breed all year long, but many people, myself included, prefer spring lambs, so breeding is timed for fall.  November breeding will bring April lambs. Depending on the year, maybe a bit late for Easter, but otherwise in time for the lush new grass and a good time for the lambs and ewes who are lactating.

A common practice with sheep is to "flush" them prior to breeding. This means they are offered the best possible nutrition in grain, supplements and hay that is available. The theory is that nature will recognize a well fed and well nourished animal and conditions will encourage multiple lambs because of it.

In some towns throughout the U.S and one on Long Island that I have first hand knowledge of, the name FLUSHING MEADOWS crops up, and even Queens has a borough known as FLUSHING, though the part about the meadow is absent, perhaps having been dropped over the years.

This refers to an area once designated for the purpose of putting animals out on pasture, flushing them with the nutrients available on the new grass. Who knew? And how interesting to envision Long Island and Queens as the once rural, agricultural areas we know them to have been.

Finnsheep however, are able to have litters of as many as 7 lambs at once, with litters of four and five fairly common. Due to this I personally do not flush the ewes prior to putting them with the ram.

Last year we had 30 lambs from 11 ewes. One singleton, two sets of twins, one set of quintuplets and one set of quadruplets, all the rest were triplets.

The single lamb was born to a first time dam.


Of the lambs offered for sale are two remaining ewe lambs that are from a quintuplet litter.

These lambs were sired by Ben. Caden is the dam.   Cadens' dam gave quadruplets this year. 

This was Cadens' second lambing, having produced twins last year. The lineage is one proven for large framed, prolific progeny with outstanding maternalism, hand spinning fleeces and docile temperaments. 

No flushing necessary!

Regards,
Kathryn

More on Ram Aggression

Here is an excellent and well written, thought provoking article on ram aggression.



http://www.plfkarakuls.com/art-ram.html

October 21. 2013

19th Century Weaving Loom

Another lovely trait of the Finnsheep breed is that in addition to having litters of lambs, they are capable of breeding all year long.

The ram lambs can breed a mature ewe at 16 weeks of age ( ask me how I know! ) and the ewe lambs can have their first offspring by 12 months of age, making their first breeding at 7 months.

For a small homestead looking to have animals for their own needs as well as some to sell, this provides a very quick way to increase the flock and generate income.

For commercial flocks who want to add Finnsheep genetics to increase lambing percentages, Finns offer the ability to lamb twice in a 19 month period of time and still retain body condition and fleece quality.

We have had one ewe here who gave us triplets, quadruplets and triplets again in 19 months. Ten lambs in just over a year and a half. All the lambs thrived, and the fleeces from this dam were beautiful.

We have learned from more experienced Finnsheep shepherds, that the best diet for them is grass, or hay when grass is unavailable.
Ewes only get grain in the last four weeks of gestation and the first four weeks of lactation.

Rams never get grain and I suspect this may help to eliminate the incidence of urinary calculi often found in grain fed rams.

Because the Finn ewe can carry so many lambs, as they grow she has less room for roughage and the addition of grain allows for necessary nutrients during that time when she cannot take in enough grass/hay to provide all she would need for herself and her young. I've found this to be the best arrangement for our flock.

We do not creep feed lambs here, but they become familiar with grain as they sample from their dams feed dishes and within no time, can be persuaded to do almost anything for that little treat of grain.

As if they aren't already easy enough!

Regards,
Kathryn

Ram Aggression

When we began our shepherding journey, our very first Finnsheep was Treble Clef - the boy on the right. He came to us at about six months of age.



Brothers Panda and Treble Clef

I was struck by his friendly nature and wanted a sheep in the worst way, so a deal was made and this fledgling shepherd brought home the first ram, and first Finnsheep.

Although I had heard many times, never to trust a ram or turn your back, my experience with young Clef was such that aggression on his part was non-existent and our blissfully happy relationship continued this way for more than a year. As one might imagine, I forgot all the dire warnings I'd heard, and came and went from the sheep pasture with ne'er a thought as to consequences.....until....one day.

 During routine chores I entered into the sheep enclosure ( by this time the ewes were also in with Clef as it was breeding season ) and proceeded about the task of picking up the rubber feed dishes without regard for where Clef happened to be in the pasture.

Suddenly, rudely and without warning, my beloved ram and friend, charged me full on and connected in a rather painful butt. Stunned by the unexpectedness of it, I stood dumbfounded as he came at me again, and again. My first reaction was to clock his head, which was merely an invite to continue, not a good choice (I later reasoned). Eventually it occurred to me to rump him, set him on his butt much like one does when shearing, to show dominance. This finally convinced him I was the boss, and after a bit of humiliation on his part, I let him up and he walked away without further incident.

I'd like to say that was the last of it, but that would be untrue. A handful more times over the next two or three years he tried it again but I had found the key, and immediately rumped him which invariably ended the session.

We've been shepherding partners now for six years and our relationship is a good one. We respect each other and enjoy spending time together for those scratches, rubs and invariable kisses. He has been my foundation ram leaving many progeny which show no signs of the same behavior.

I've learned that breeding season brings a whole new level of behaviors which I can anticipate and also, never to turn my back on any of the boys regardless of time of year. They seem to think of me as their ewe and competition for my attention can sometimes cause a bit of pushing and shoving which I watch out for.

My yearling ram boys have never, ever made an attempt to do such a thing even at breeding season and I have no reason why that is true. But I still keep an eye out when I'm in with them just to be on the safe side.

While many people feel strongly that a ram's act of aggression toward the shepherd should be met with a visit to the slaughter house, my perspective is that I don't want to eliminate all tendency toward aggression because I don't want to end up with a sheep that doesn't have the instinct to protect itself or its offspring. This may be a loose connection but I've read of other breeds where this became an issue, and so its always stayed in the back of my mind.

Had I eliminated Clef after the first aggression, I would have missed out on some very nice lambs and the opportunity to see where this experiment in sheep behavior would end up. Fortunately for us and our farm, its ended up well.

Whatever your thoughts are on ram aggression, or your experiences are, you must do what you believe to be in the best interest of your flock and farm. I am not suggesting that all rams be allowed to confront and be aggressive toward their shepherd by any stretch. I am simply offering my experience as food for thought.


Regards,
Kathryn







 

Our Breeding Rams

Treble Clef

This is our Finnsheep Ram - Treble Clef

FBA # 24328

Dam: FBA # 22320 Ruby Shoes

Sire: FBA # 22815 Boychick

Clef has been the foundation ram of our flock and contributed a nice big boned body as well as long, wavy, high luster fleece to his offspring.




Freddie

FBA # 23715 Witt VA26-212 aka Freddie

Dam: FBA # 19231 Witt 6522 

Sire: FBA # 23088 Witt VA 26-201

Freddie brings to his progeny a different genetic than Clef and this allows for some diversity in breeding. His offspring  are prolific giving large litters, with  consistent fleece from shoulder to hip.  Freddie is a black " head, socks, tail which he also passes on to some of his lambs.













Asa

 

Asa is new to us this year, coming from Stillmeadow Finnsheep in DeRuyter N.Y.

We feel that Asa will bring diversity of genetics plus a proven bloodline of temperment, fleece quality, size and color to our flock.

Asa's registration is in progress.

 

 

 
Panda is a black piebald who brings spotting genetics to his offspring. Panda is big boned, and quietly tempered making him a pleasure to work around.
Pandas' Dam is:
FBA # 22320 Ruby Shoes
Sire: FBA # 22815 Boychick
 

Panda

Panda is FBA # 2429

Ben

FBA # 25259

Ben is a white ram who carries for black and possibly Badger Grey though we have yet to see that in his lambs. Bred twice to Caden, they have produced both black and white lambs in both litters. Their lambs are striking in their steady growth, correct confirmation, long staple fleeces and large eyes/ears on pretty faces.

Ben is sired by: FBA #23901 Zephyre 

His dam is: Luca FBA # 24518

                                                                                                              

          

 







Prolificacy

Registered Finnsheep Ewe - Amelia

This is our 6th year raising sheep and our 3rd year raising Finnsheep exclusively. Amelia, shown in the photo at right, had quads this year after having given triplets last year, twins the year before that and a singleton the year before that.
She and her daughter Caden, born here at Fossil Creek Farm, lambed at exactly the same time and caused this shepherd to be hustling a bit trying to keep up.
Caden had quintuplets, so in a brief period of about 30 minutes, the flock grew by 9.

We've had quads before but quints was a new one for our farm, and this was Caden's second lambing. She had twins last year, so to go from twins to quints was a big leap for her, and I wonder what next lambing season will hold.

Both Caden and Amelia are exceptional dams, caring for their offspring with a devotion that deserves admiration. Attentive, protective and ample supply of milk for their lambs.

One thing about breeding Finnsheep is that you cannot really predict how many lambs will be born from any particular ewe though I make myself crazy at lambing time trying to.
It's a wait and see situation, and for about a month prior to the actual lambing date I start watching the sheep in hopes that they will go early and give me a surprise.

Needless to say, I love lambing time though it is stressful trying to be vigilant, observant and unobtrusive as the girls pass their days waiting, and I anxious and excited try to contain myself until such time as it is obvious there are lambs about to be born.

Sometimes the girls fool my best attempts and manage to have lambs without me, which is both a relief and an insult/disappointment. Finding lambs up and nursing, all dry and happy is pleasing in that I no longer have to agonize over whether things will go well and the lambs will make the first few hours of life without obstacles to overcome.

During lambing time I try not to go anywhere, ANYWHERE ( for days and days ) and make sure I check on sheeple regularly in case they need my help for some reason, and I love being present when the lambs are born as it's much like Christmas, waiting for a package to be unwrapped with the anticipation of what might be inside.

Because Finnsheep can have as many as seven, yes, seven lambs at once, I feel a responsibility to do all I can to be present at lambing time to offer assistance where needed. Personally I am a big fan of not interfering with a natural process, but since these are domestically bred animals, who have been bred to have many lambs, I see my role as protector and facilitator.  And it's in the farms'  best interest to assure a positive outcome for dam and lambs, both financially and in the time invested.

This year we had 30 lambs from 11 ewes with two stillborns that couldn't have been predicted.

I feel this is a successful outcome, and am happy with the lessons I've learned and their application to this years' lambing time.

But what I've come to appreciate is ...no matter how well I managed this year and what valuable lessons I've learned, the outcome is not due to my skill or experience and you can never have enough of either. No where in my life is God more evident than in this little band of creatures I am fortunate to watch over. If the flock prospers, it is more likely in spite of my efforts rather than due to them and what the next lambing season will hold is anyones' guess.

Regards,
Kathryn