Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

Mike CHS

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We keep an eye on them but we have not ever needed to. This ewe looks like a goat from the rear and her Momma was the same way. She is one of our big girls that stays right around 170 pregnant or not. She is also one of the tamest and stood there waiting for me to pick up her babies and check them out.
 

Mike CHS

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Teresa and I just went out to see how the lambs are doing since we lamb in the pasture and we have had two inches of rain since they were born this afternoon. We would have moved her to shelter if there were any issues but they are thriving and Momma is standing over them to keep them warm. I'm not sure how many more seasons we will breed sheep but I do know that we will never lamb another time in winter. Summer breeding is never 100% bred but it is so much easier not having to deal with the freezing weather.
 

Mike CHS

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Cooper had a busy 1/2 hour when the ewes got in with him back in February. One of our registered ewes has a single ram lamb born about an hour ago and a commercial ewe had a solid black ram lamb born a couple of hours ago from the look of her. She is a yearling that is the most skittish ewe in our flock.
 

Ridgetop

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Cooper must be offering cigars all around!

We lamb all year round but then we don't get much rain. Also have a barn where we can move the mamas and lambs into. Summer lambing is bad due to flies. Sometimes the lambs stress in the heat and I have to put fans in the barn. I don't mind pasture lambing since it is cleaner, but if the ewe is not very tame, you have to chase the lambs to check them out. Also our ewes like the bottom of the gully to lamb in. :thWe only have 30 ewes to lamb and we separate them into different flocks and rotate the rams. We are getting a nice flock of good ewes from different rams but with bloodlines that complement each other. Depending on the weights of lambs you want to take to auction, you could rearrange your lambing times.

When I was checking on Barber Pole worms, I was told that spring lambing is when most young lambs are exposed. Your sheep are very resistant so I suppose that doesn't affect you.
 

farmerjan

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WAY TO GO COOPER..... That's really getting your "lambing window" whittled down !!!!! Many farmers try to get their calving window into a 30-45 day spread for more uniform calves to sell... Sure would be nice to get it down to a 30 HOUR window. :lol::gig:yesss:.

No matter, healthy babies is the best outcome even for a "whoops"....
 

Mike CHS

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When I was checking on Barber Pole worms, I was told that spring lambing is when most young lambs are exposed. Your sheep are very resistant so I suppose that doesn't affect you.

We only lamb once a year and have been getting lambs from September - early November and never in spring (normally because of Barber Pole). Our goal is to have lambs ready for market in January when most people are just starting to lamb. Our sheep are pretty resistant but the lambs being born now will have issues with Barber Pole probably.
 

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