Culling

I wish that word were sculling. That's because sculling is more fun than culling. I made my decision and I have figured who goes and who stays. A hard job let me tell you. I don't like that in the fall there is a the big decision about which sheep stay and which ones go. Two of my older ewes are on the block which I really hate because they are nice sheep but there is no room for feeding pets and if they are causing problems then it is time to move them out. Two of my last year's lambs that lambed this year are also on the block. The decision is based on primarily fleece, but also factors like age, and friendliness, how they handle, whether they're runners, or they're the type that will stay put on our property, health, etc. It is not an easy decision but I have to put my foot down and just do it. I will be picking up 4 new sheep for my flock next week which will bring my numbers up to 21. Far more than I wanted. With the price of hay this year I want to seriously cull my flock and two of my culls are ones I would have kept had hay been more reasonably priced. I won't say whose going and whose staying. That wouldn't be fair.

I will be keeping all of my alpacas (I don't think I will ever get rid of them... I love them too much) and Honeydew, the llama will be staying put as long as she doesn't run off again. We didn't breed Mishka this year, after all, since she is young and there is so much going on with the house renovations that time was considerably lacking. Hubby suggested that I wait a year and while that was not a decision I liked, I felt he was probably wise in making the suggestion. So we will wait for next year when life is not so hectic, to breed her then. She has a dreadful hair cut this year especially around her tail which might affect her ability to breed. We'll have to do a better job next year.

Last night Hubby and I picked up a much needed bale of hay and with grass not growing very well around here this year we were in for a bit of a shock. This year's bales are selling for $40.00 to $60.00 a bale. Compared to last year at $30.00 that is quite expensive. That is why I have to cull so heavily. Here are pics of some of the keepers...


This is Fanny who is a Shetland/Merino. She is a really god mom.


This Is Honeydew the runnaway Llama who will not be running away anymore... or else...


This is Griegg who is an old geezer and a lovely Shetland cross sheep. We don't know what he was crossed with but that's ok. He loves to watch us in the window at night when the light is on. We feel like fish in a fish tank.


This is Mishka... the unbred female alpaca who has lovely divine fleece. I wish we hadn't been so busy this year I would have liked to have her bred.


This is Oscar who is my favorite sheep. He always comes for a scratch and loves getting behind his ears scratched. He is a Blue Faced Liecester/Merino cross ram. But a bigger pig for hay you have never seen.


This is Nelly who is very skittish and will not let us touch her without a fight.... but she has the most beautiful fleece from the whole flock. This is as close as she would let me get.


This is Eddie.... I just love his ears. He will be a stud.... he has a very soft and thick coat. Prime Alpaca fleece.


This is Coal and though he has a funky thing on his nose where he has lost his wool, he is a stud a will be bred with Mishka.


Benny needs a job done on his teeth which will be done in the next few weeks. He will be castrated.


This is Axton and nobody likes him because he spits. But he has a lovely soft fleece but it is thin. I will castrate him too.


This is Dexter and I likw him a lot but I can't breed him becasue he is too closely related to Mishka.... so he will be castrated too.


This is Krunch who has a pretty nice dark brown fleece bordering on black. She is a Shetland and Merino cross. She bred well with our ram last year and that is why she is a keeper.


This is Palmer and he is a Romney/BFL/ Merino cross. I like his fleece and he is a nice calm lamb.


This is Reece and she is a Shetland/BFL/Merino cross and is a lovely little lamb. She was my only white lamb from this year. We had to bottle feed her for the first few days. She made a good come back and is now as round aas she is long.

There you have it.... my flock... at least until next week when the new ones come.