Once again, I have been a bad blogger! Time sure can get away from you when you're having fun and being busy!
Breeding season started a bit earlier this year. Niles went in with the girls in October & will stay there through December at least, maybe January. This means that we could, hopefully have babies as early as March. It was a tough decision for us. I like the April babies that we've had before because the weather is so much nicer & reliable. March here in Missouri can be very up & down & we've had late March snowstorms. BUT, I chose Shetlands because they are very hearty & good mothers. I also felt this would be better for the showing lambs, letting them have a little extra time to grow & such before going to the fairs in the summer. Last year, being a learning experience, we weaned our lambs at 10 weeks, right about. They only had 3 weeks before they went to their first fair & it would have been less if we had hit the first fairs in our area. Now, they were well weaned, etc. But I wondered if it would be better for them to have a bit more time to grow & get worked with away from mommas. So, we're trying March lambs. IF somebody didn't take the first time, well that's why we're leaving Niles in there longer. If for whatever reason one of the ewes didn't stick until later, that's ok. Better to have a late baby than no baby.
county wide 4H recognition banquet. We are so proud to say that Fluffy Girl was the county top 8 year old girl, as well as winning the quality of life award! She had to write a short essay on her 4H projects & how they incorporated into our lives & making them better. Naturally, our sheep helped. LOL. The top 8 year old was chosen based on 4H involvement throughout the first year. She received the beautiful doll with her award, name & year embroidered on it for the top 8 year girl and a lovely 4H cookbook with a clover cookie cutter for quality of living award.
Our 4H club was chosen the outstanding club and Randolph county received special recognition as being the top county in Missouri during the state fair in sheep. The county received a nice plaque & all the sheep kids were given a nice feed bag sack. We had several other winners & mentions from our club. Very proud of our kids & the families supporting them!
I had my black pochin decide to be broody last month so I let her sit thinking she would break with the cold weather approaching. But to be on the safe side I put my last 5 silkie eggs under her from my black pen. I lost my lovely splash silkie hen just before this. :( I also bought 3 NICE young chicks from a good breeder just a few weeks ago. They were still a bit young to be outside so up the brooder went again. Good thing because just as the weather finally decided to get cold last weekend I had chicks start hatching! I hated to do it, but with cold weather here I took them away from my hens & brought them in. 3 little silkies & 1 cochin & I think we're done. We'll now have chicks in the house for the winter. LOL.
Big happening on the nature front! Fluffy Girl's first deer!!! A nice button-buck taken with 1 shot at 100 yards! Our family motto growing up was, "You kill it, you clean it." However Camo Dad and I don't quite trust her with a knife yet. So he did the cutting & she did the gutting! I'm happy to report it didn't bother her a bit. She was a little concerned about that before the hunt, as a boy at school got a deer & reported the gutting as "disgusting" LOL.
