LAMBS!!!!

I finally got my camera out to the barn and what a beautiful day it is..can you tell is 5 degrees?  All the animals were out in the sun with no wind, the sun was warmer than the barn after such a cold night. 

Our two horses with ice on their whiskers

These two twins were born about 4 days ago, they belong to, Jan, our resident tunis/texal ewe.  She and Walker had fun and now these girls are here.  They are cute little things. 

Maggie, our other non-finnsheep had triplets and is doing well with them.  They are about 12 hours younger than Jan's and you can tell a little as they are smaller.  It's hard to feed three but Maggie is doing well. Two boys and a girl.  Good job, Mags!

This is our first ram born a few weeks ago.  He is a brown, non-fading registered Finnsheep and is gorgeous.  I will be watching his fleece as he ages but really a great guy!  

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These are Kaarina's quadruplets, as an update. (one didn't survive the birthing) They are still in a lambing stall as I am teaching them to drink from an orphan bucket.  Momma Kaarina is a fantastic mom and has the best fleece in the flock.  Last Spring she sufferer mastitis so bad that her udder was left too scarred to raise them herself so, I'm helping.  They are growing like weeds and are doing well and have gone from 7 lbs at birth (imagine that! 4, 7lb lambs at one time) to now 8-9 lbs in a week.  They will hopefully be out of this stall and out with the other kids soon. Two girls and a boy.

 

  

  Most of the lambs will be available for purchase. 

Brrrrrr....

Lambs

It's cold out this winter, much colder than last year.  We have had a few more lambs born here on the farm and it's exciting and busy now!  Kaarina, a wonderful mother and gorgeous fleeced animal, lambed early Monday morning.  She was busy as she delivered quads this year.  Unfortunately one did not survive.  I am guessing in all the confusion of four lambs, it might not have gotten it's mouth and nose cleared out in time. One a brighter note, she has three still here and doing well.  All three have the beautiful fleece that my best Finns carry.

 Kaarina had a terrible case of mastitis last year.  She is a very hard sheep to read and she didn't show her sickness until an infection had given her a high fever and she was barely able to walk.  After 10 days of antibiotics, infusions, hot packs, milking her, and special feed, she recovered.  She lost all her wool from the fever and one side of her udder has never been the same.  I was concerned about her feeding lambs this year but bred her anyway, knowing I might have bottle lambs.  She is producing milk out of the bad side and the other is fully functioning.  She loves her lambs and I am supplementing at this time.  For now, all is well and I will introduce them to the orphan bucket soon so I don't have to feed so often.

Jan, our Tunis ewe lambed to big ewe lambs and they are doing really well!  Not very exciting and that's how I like my lambing to go.  Going out to do chores with a cup of coffee and seeing new lambs, all fed and loved by their moms.  Uneventful

50 Days Till Spring!

It's been a while and I'm back, for now.  We have a few exciting times happening on the farm right now and I'm hoping to get things back into a routine.

FAMILY

In Decemeber, we had our first child, Gabrielle Elyse Maulbetsch.  She was born on Dec. 4 weighing 7 lbs 9 oz. and 20.5 inches.

 2 weeks old

She is a riot and I'm adjusting to motherhood pretty well, I think.  It's not unusual for me to have something or someone completely dependent on me but it's never been a physical part of me before.  Together, Paul and I are figuring this out and enjoying every minute with her.  She has been sleeping through the night (8 hours) since about 4 weeks old, so life is good in that department. 

 1 month old

FARMING

In the farming news, we have acquired the 10 acres next door that does a little "L" shape around our property so we are now 20 acres and almost square.  Paul is excited and has already been clearing the trees and limbs down so we can get into the new barn and get it fenced. 

We added a calf to our farm, Moo-Cow-abelle.  I cute little girl that is warming our hearts each day and she will probably end of being a big dog around here.  

We have started lambing but with just a couple early moms.  The rest of the ewes should lamb next week at the beginning of February.  Fleeces will be available in a few days for purchase.  We have 17 nice pure finn fleeces in all colors to sell. 

Our silkie chickens have been laying eggs all winter and actually hatched out two broods in the past month.  So, we have babies running around and I can't believe they are surviving the cold. 

The runner ducks are still running, cold or not.  They aren't laying eggs yet but I'm sure will start up again soon.

DOG TRAINING

   

My students are doing well and I have added a few new teams in the last month.  The advanced students are going to a trial this Sunday for CPE agility and I'm going to join them with Tweed.  I'm excited to get back into trialing as I have only been able to do a few trials over the last few years.  I have made a video of the first trial last Fall that they did and after having a fun weekend, there are a few students that are ready to go again!  CPE is a such a wonderful place to start trialing.  

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!!

 

Good Fall Morning! 

It's beautiful outside and a balmy 50 degrees this morning.  Is Fall upon us, I think not!  It will still reach 80 today but all is going well.  Yesterday, I shearing one of the ramlings that is still living here.  He is 1/2 Finn and has a nice, crimpy fleece, so I figured I would keep the wool and add to the collection.  He was still accepted back to the boys without much hassle.  

We also took out turkeys and extra ducks in for processing so the barnyard is quieter with just the permanent residents here in the bird yard.  The 34 lb Tom will be helpful at our family Thanksgiving dinner.  I never like dropping them off but the good life they had up til the end was very close to bird retirement. 

We had three fall lambs born and it was our first 'out of season' lambing.  Very easy and so nice to not worry about babies freezing.  They are very cute and just started the lamb races.  I don't think anyone else is expecting but we will see.  It wasn't a planned lambing but I allowed the ram in for a month in the Spring to see how quickly they would re breed. 

These lambs are available for new homes in early November, or they will just hang out till Spring with the rest of the flock!

I also got a new camera for the upcoming Spring lamb that will be human!  My husband and I are expecting Dec. 2 and we thought it would be a good idea to have a nice camera to preserve the moments!  So, these lambs are the beginnings of me trying to learn all the settings.  I'm loving the colors!

Our ducks are doing well, all the boys grew up and are looking good.  I have 6 hens and 2 drakes that I will be breeding in the Spring for ducklings.  I have been selecting the best of the stock all summer to pick the final group. 

We also added some new poultry to our breeding program, silkie chickens!  They are adorable and hilarious!  Can't wait for Spring to hatch little baby silkies!

The horses are doing well and fattened up on lots of pasture.  We went riding a couple times on the trails this summer and they did so well! 

 Nelly!

Saphra!

Dog Agility classes are going really well and 10 of my students are heading to their first trial next weekend!  So fun and so proud of all of them!!

New Additions to the Farm

Hello All,

My time has been busy and I have posted very little this Spring however, I have some new additions to the Borderhauss Farm.  I will post pictures later but just don't have any good ones now..

Birds:
We purchased 9 new runner duck babies to add to the flock and up our show quality.  I always try toward a 'show' look without compromising the conformation of the duck.  In other words...if they are straight up in the air and poop on their toes, like the standard says but it hinders them from making a smooth gait across the pasture, then we don't breed to further the problem.  I am working on more orange footed grey runners as that is a show standard but doesn't stop their ability to run and forage and act like the little crazy ducks they can be. 

My husband has increased his part of the animals by getting 6 quail.  3 bobwhites and 3 courtnix.  He is really enjoying them so much that they get petted, handled, and worked with daily.  Makes for much easier cage cleaning.  However, we can't have them free-range, so they have their own little quail hutch inside the duck stall. 

My husband also has brought home 3 micro-piggies.  And they are small...at about 1 year old, they are about 15-20 lbs each.  Not potbelly pigs but the true micro/mini pig.  They are smart and tend to watch me a lot...I keep thinking they are plotting something.  But, they are funny and there is a stool in their pen where people sit and give them treats and teach them tricks and just 'hang out' with the piggies.  I can't wait till we get a nice big area for them outside!  (in the shade with lots of water, of course!)

I recently purchased 6 silkie chicks to play with and I think I'm attached after one day!  They are so funny looking and I think they will be a great addition to the farm! 

Pictures soon to follow!!!

Well, all the sheep are sheared, wool is posted on ebay.  Some of it is great and some of it is fantastic!  The best ones, I have put coats on for next season to keep them from fading in the sun and getting vm in there. 

One of the biggest surprises was Heidi.  She was a little ewe that I sold last year and her companion goat got killed by the neighbors dog and her owner feared for her life, so she sent her back to live here and I'm very happy.  She was a fading black when she left and is now a gorgeous grey. 

Based on this photo, you would never think her wool was worth anything.  No offense, Heidi.  Turns out, she was brushed and she got the "stuck her hoof in a light socket" look.  But, part the wool to the skin and you get:

She is a little looser in the crimp than I'd like but, that might improve with a little care this season.  So, a few days ago, she got her new haircut and looks great!

Well, I like how they look after shearing.  Maybe it's because it's such a huge accomplishment for me to do the work.  She wasn't about to give a look at me due to the green grass coming in and she's been in isolation for a month.  (she came back neg for OPP, CL, and Johnes) soon she'll be a sheep again.   I decided to put her in a blanket and she how she does.

Well, now I got a look.  A look of embarrassment.  LOL!!  But, her wool turned out looking like this

So, needless to say, I've got too many projects going so this, along with the other fleeces are for sale on ebay. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260984948299?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

AND THEY'RE OFF!!!!

LAMB RACES!!

It's finally that time of year!  All the lambs are done from the first round...10 moms, 21 lambs on the ground.  We lost a few along the way this year and that was sad.  The ones that are left are fantastic.  The wool on these babies is amazing with my two rams that I purchased out of Stillmeadow in N.Y. and Triple L in W.A.  It was $$ and hard to choose via internet but with their help, I am extremely pleased.  Our fecal was negative right in the middle of lambing and that was a big relief, so with the mild winter, lets hope we can keep that up.  By checking each ewe carefully and only treating for exactly what they carry, we have made huge strides in parasite control. 

The lambs were very big and healthy this year, avg weight was about 8 lbs with some 9 and 9.5 lb finns born in multiples....so pleased.  Now they are doubled in weight at 3 weeks old so, I'm looking forward to big lambs going home in middle April.   I have been trying so hard to select for size along with the other traits and it's starting to pay off. Mom's are incredibly milky this year and besides 1 or 2 bottles on the second and third days..we are using no supplements.  I did increase the corn/grain feeding during pregnancy and that helped I'm sure. 

I am choosing two ewe lambs to retain and will be looking to get a few outcross ewes for next season.  This also means, I have the hard decision of letting a few of my current ewes go. 

We will also be adding some more fence so we can rotate pastures with the horses this summer.  Paul is getting the acre by the house ready to plant corn as we are going to try and grow our own feed this year.  We will also be trying blankets all around for fleece quality.  I tested one and wish I had done more. 


It's going to be a wonderful summer....