Unfolding of the Shetland Colors

I've always had a fascination with color and pattern (former graphic designer) so Shetlands were an obvious choice for the pasture. I absolutely adore their spunky personality, easy to handle size, and all the mystery and intrique of their genetics. Having a Swedish and Scots-Irish background sealed the deal. Learning to felt , spin and weave (maybe even knit and crochet with ease someday) will just be icing on the cake.

These photos were taken a while back but this is the first chance I've had to post them. All the babes are doing fine and getting nice and fat on grass. The little white ram lamb is quite the cutie and has a big personality to match, just like dad.

The little black buckling goat is probably wondering why he can't manage to baa like all the other little kids! If his grandma would hurry up and have her babies he wouln't feel so left out. It has just GOT to be any day now.

It's What's Underneath That Counts

Hot Cocoa started talking loudly about 7:30 on the morning of May 21 so I was sure to watch her carefully that day. I was starting to get worried when I had seen her have a contraction here and there, vocalizing and pacing, but nothing steady.

Finally, about 3 or so in the afternoon while the boys were down I snuck out to check on her, AGAIN. Woo hoo...she was laying down but when she got up I saw that she had a nice softball sized amniotic bag exposed. She was going to move from her chosen spot so I walked on down the rest of the drive to get the mail, hoping that when I came back up she might have delivered. No luck.

Half an hour later I checked again after one of our sons was up from his nap. As we approached, she stood up and delivered a single black buckling. By the time we got down to her, she was working dillegently to clean him up and he was anxiously trying to stand, walk, flop, whatever it took to get to her teats! After sucking on her neck for a bit he finally found them and did that happy little tail wag.

So now the question is...will he have white cashmere like his sire or light brown like his dam? Oh, further patience be granted, please! As if waiting for birthing wasn't enough.

Both are doing well as we await our last arrival(s) of the year...Flicker's kid(s).

Later in the week, the new red bull calf was sluggish and found to have fly strike on his back. Hot Shot had been bellyaching over him that day. After getting a bath, a picking over for creepie crawlies, and a fly spray he's doing just fine but we'll be checking him closely. He has learned to keep moving, swat his tail and not lay down on a brown pillow so hopefully there won't be a recurrence. Other than a missing patch of hair or two on the top of his back for the time being, he's a beauty.

Here We Go Again

The lamb whisperers say "pssst...did you see the new gal?"

A traditional dark red heifer calf was born 5 pm the 12th to Lil Hot Shot. She is nursing and getting along quite well. Her blonde half-sister looks on as if to say "are you ready to play with me yet?"

They are now in our back wooded pasture for a bit.

Now we await Hot Cocoa who was supposedly due yesterday, and her mother Flicker who has also developed an udder. They were bred to Jack Frost who had a heck of a time getting any time with them due to Andes Mint, our Shetland ram, cozying up to them. Apparently he prefers the company of the goats to his own ladies! We were worried that Flicker wasn't going to get bred as she had an early miscarriage (Andes' or Jack's???), the season was getting late, and Andes kept pestering her. Obviously Jack was cunning enough. Being that Milly lost 2 boys and Molly had a boy...we are SO hoping for some little cashmere does.

Supposed to be a cold night down to about 33 degrees...where in the world did that come from? I'll have to run down to the garden and cover any perishables before dark! We've had a few lettuce and spinach salads with fresh radishes, several small pots of mixed greens, and a handful each of snow peas and snap peas. I'm anxious for the fresh beets! I've just repotted all the veggies I've been unable to plant due to all the rain. After tonight I'll get them set out when the boys allow me a few minutes.

Latest Member of the Singles Club

Finally, photos of the new little fella. He's doing just fine but we're in for some rain so he and Kayla will have the shelter all to themselves. As long as everything goes well, they can join the rest of the flock late tomorrow. Below you'll see Kayla with last year's grey katmoget boy in the background.

Lambing Finale - Singles Only

Kayla has been hanging out solo all week and begging for extra rations. Finally, today while the boys were napping and I was working, about 3:45 pm, I heard one of our white does bleating and went to go check on her. Well, she was talking to someone. It was Kayla in the adjoining pasture!

She went to the shelter and was in labor. All the Highlands were standing around watching her...no pressure, right!? Right as I walked up, she delivered a white or very light grey ram lamb with a black spot on his hip, a medium grey ring around his neck, and silver flecking on his head. He was already trying to nurse but Kayla was more interested in cleaning him up.

Pictures tomorrow when all are settled. So I got all interested parties out of the way, put 2 closing panels on the entry and exit, and got her personal water, hay and a bit of grain. He's beautiful and already a sweetie. I'll visit later tonight after our boys are asleep to give him a couple of squirts of drench to help keep him perky through the night.

Our next to deliver is Hot Cocoa, our black doe, in mid-May and then Hot Shot, the highland cow, should have a new calf come late summer. Cocoa is starting to shed her light brown cashmere and Flicker is shedding her white cashmere so I'm anxious to have a chance to comb them.

Now we can focus on watching all the young 'uns grow, attempting to get a garden in without the boys trampling it all, building a run-in shed, and doing some more fencing. In between all the appraisal work created by everyone refinancing, that is!

Highland Hoop Time

After escorting Eve and her lamb to the shelter on day 2, bringing the lamb back in 3 times, and staying for about 15 minutes with the goats and ram present, she decided it was safe and they have visited there frequently for shade and naps. Little heifer calf was napping in there Tuesday morning which totally alarmed our Vizsla and Samoyed. She's about their size.

Weather is pleasant so haven't had to escort Martina and her new ewe lamb to the hut yet. At last check, lambs were laying on the back side of moms from any cool breezes.

Eve's lamb goes airborne when leaping on our hills and is a blaze running already. Tried to get a photo but Eve cunningly blocked me every time.

Sprinkles

Checked the front pasture about 8 am this morning and no new arrivals. Took the boys out to put hay out about 8:30 and noticed the new bull calf was taking advantage of the shelter while mom was off eating. I went down about 8:45 to introduce myself and upon exiting, saw that Martina had a little black lamb at her side. So then I spotted Eve and yes, she had her black lamb at her side, too.

Went over to check it out. Yay! It's another girl! She's already nursing and still a tad bit damp but mom's still doing her job. She is more of a dark chocolate, especially around the face. She has white pepper sprinkles on her head like Eve's lamb but they are very faint and small. Went and got a grain snack for Martina and a little drench for the lamb. Finally, we'll have a couple of babes the same age to play together. Guess Andes was in a dark mood this fall! Checked Kayla for udder development; I'm guessing she's about 3 weeks out as there is some development but nothing major yet.

Photos later.