I have been looking for a ewe lamb to raise and breed for meat for over a month. Most of the breeders I know, had a bad year due to weather or only with ram lambs being born. I really wanted a Pollypay (white face lambs) breed of lamb but even the local neighbors had no ewes.
Today was cold and extremely windy. I couldn't go out and pick dandelions like I wanted so I could make jelly. I thought was going to just clean the house and read today...until Dude said he saw a ewe, just one, on Craigslist. It was a Suffolk lamb - the adorable black faced lambs. They don't pull as good a double duty as the Pollypay - both for wool and meat. They are primarily for meat but they are sweet natured. Their wool is only of medium grade. I gave them a call anyway . They said they had just posted it and ,yes, this year out of their whole little flock, was one ewe lamb.
We got in the car and traveled an hour away to the small town of Elizabeth.
We got to their little ranch where their raised a little bit of everything, cows, alpacas, miniature horse, boer and Nubian goats, chickens and sheep. We needed a Nubian doe but again she only had bucklings. They are finding that raising a good breed of boer goats was more profitable than anything and were thinking of getting out of the sheep business. Thank goodness I only want enough lamb meat for us. Our first ewe we are looking for is for breeding.
Here they are, Suffolk sheep.
On our way to the barn
she had these awesome walkways between the pens to prevent muddy paths and folks to stay steady on.
She herded them into the barn.
We eyeballed her Nubian bucklings. So cute and just had their horns removed.
Boer goats and one about to pop with kids.
Some of the newer lambs.
Some of the moms.
And there is was... number 204 ! Yes she was adorable and we agreed to buy her. We didn't have our trailer with us and said we would be back on Wednesday.
This is her Daddy, number 73. He was a very gentle and sweet ram. He just wanted a head rub and to nibble on a few sleeves before we headed home.
I got another squared done for a yarnbomb during the trip. It was this one with some pink added.
On the way home we stopped for chicken and meat bird feed.
The extreme wind didn't begin to die down until 8pm.
Tomorrow, we hope, will be full of calm skies and sunshine.
peace
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