Shearing Day

    It's been a busy week on the farm between getting all the girls in the barn, getting a new routine down, and then shearing day on Tuesday. The girls look so much better getting all that wool sheared off. Oh, and the boys look handsome too.
    It was 11 degrees out that morning when the shearing began but the sheep didn't pay it no mind. Once their shearing was over and they realized how much better it felt to rub against the fence, they were pretty happy.

Grace volunteered to go first.

Thanks to our shearers Bill and Don Haudenschield who drove in from Ohio Tuesday morning to take care of our sheep. They do a fabulous job!

     Sophie became very fond of the shearers. I think she might have went with them if we would have let her.

    Look at that big bag of wool. Our sheep's wool filled up 3 bags.

Half Pint really enjoyed getting a brand new hair style.

This was Esther and her friends first haircut.

Don't they look great? You can really see those pregnant bellies now!

Watch as Esther gets sheared for the very first time.

 

First Video Interview of Kentucky's First Sheep Dairy

BY UK Agriculture

Half Pint Gone Country

    Growing up I loved watching Little House on the Prairie. It was one of my favorite shows. My dad and Pa always called me Half Pint. That's where the name of my soap Half Pint's Sheep Milk Soap came from. I have always thought of myself as a country girl but I guess I never really knew what it was to actually feel like a "country girl" until I came to the farm and I don't mean country girl in a redneck term although I have felt that way a time or two since living on the farm.
    Mud has become my best friend. I think my clean clothes are a target for mud and I think I've finally accepted it.
    I've discovered a love for fishing. I love competing with my husband, we have a lot of blue gill in these ponds and I'm pretty sure as soon as I throw the little fishy back in the pond I'm reeling him right back in. But hey, whose counting?
    Catching craw fish. Who knew you could spend so much time in the creek catching something you'd never seen before could be so much fun.
    Cracking black walnuts. Yep, that was a winner! Our hands and nails were stained for weeks.
    Gathering black berries. What a sense of accomplishment it was to be able to gather my own black berries and bake my own black berry pie.
    Picking wild flowers. Ever since I was little I was always picking flowers out in the yard and giving them to my momma. It was only appropriate that I picked wild flowers off the farm the day before my wedding for all my center pieces on the reception tables.
    I love my boots! I don't get to wear them outside the farm much cause I can't seem to keep the manure off them.
    I think we need more animals! You'd think after having 69 ewes, 7 rams, 3 border collies, 2 guard dogs, that that would be enough. Well, this is what's on my list to get, a few wool sheep, a horse, a cat, a rabbit, and some chickens. That's not a lot to ask is it? After all, I can put up a good fight as to why a horse would be a great idea. I could gallop to the pasture to check on the sheep and not waste the gas in the Kubota. :) I know, I could just walk, that would solve everything!!
    There's something about being from the country that makes you appreciate things a lot more. I know I do. Not that being anywhere else doesn't make you appreciate things but just being outside working or doing a simple task makes me feel closer to God. I think a combination of being raised right, having a loving family, and growing up in a good environment has taught me to appreciate even the simplest things that others may not find so easily to appreciate. So many people depend so much on their iphones, ipads, ipods, video games, or whatever to make them happy. I don't want to be dependent on those things. I enjoy spending time learning new things, finding new hobbies, and being with my family. I want to raise a family completely away from worldly gadgets. Isn't it true that the less we have the more we appreciate?  I think it is.
    Morals and values are slipping away more and more each day and I'm finding that world outside the farm a bit scary. I'd love to be able to have children and raise them up based on Godly principles and to teach them an appreciation for the simple life. With the way the government is working right now they are making it harder and harder for a family to become self-sufficient.
    My prayer is that doors will be opened and chances will be given to those yearning for this kind of lifestyle. Living simple isn't always easy but it's definitely worth it.

Catching Up..

    After all of us trying to get a little bit of everything done the past couple of weeks in between our daily farm chores, we finally feel like we're getting caught up and a lot accomplished. The past two weeks I've managed to get a couple of batches of soap made, and even hand milled a batch of sweet pea soap for Valentine's day.
     Dad got most of the lambing barn ready with some help from Daniel. Today, after putting the finishing touches on the barn,  mom, dad, Adam and I moved our older mommas to the barn. After all, they have to be there and ready for their haircuts on Tuesday when the shearers come bright and early. The younger ewes will be getting their wool sheared as well. They will be moved to the pasture next to the lambing barn hopefully tomorrow and then moved into the old barn after we get it ready.          

Dad & Daniel putting the last few fences up in the barn.  

   Adam and dad geared up and ready to get the momma's moved over to the barn.

 The girls were so excited they didn't know what to do first, eat or rub around on the fence.

     I made up my mind yesterday I was finally going to conquer the basics of crocheting. Thanks to my Aunt Reta who sent me some really useful you tube videos a few months ago that I hadn't found the time to get to yet. I finally made time to sit down and watch them, pause, and rewind, stop, crochet a little, pull it apart, and start over. After a couple of times through the videos and pulling my stitches apart, I think I've finally got it down pat!! I'm not a pro at it yet and don't ask me to make anything other than a scarf because even then it might take me a month to complete. I'm moving slow but I'll get there.

Thanks Aunt Reta!

Meg's 2011 Lambing Video

Mom took this video of Meg in labor while trying to help her along. I think she makes a pretty good midwife if I do say so myself.

In Their Own Words - Promo Video

Listen to dad and mom tell their story in their own words.

This video was filmed and edited by my brother Adam Dotson, camera man and video editor at LEX18.

Miracle

January 2, 2010, Dottie gave us our very first lamb here on the farm. Our first baby sheep!
It was an extremely cold Saturday morning, Dad went out early that morning to check on our six mommas that we had. There he found two lambs, the first one didn't make it even though they tried everything they could to save it. His brother, the second one born, was a survivor.

We named him Miracle.

I never realized how important it is for the momma to bond with her baby until we got the sheep. If the mommas don't accept their babies, those babies miss out on getting the colostrum they need from their mommas to help them survive.

Dad & mom look like some pretty proud parents here.

At the time I was still working outside the farm so I missed the morning surprise but I got to cuddle him when I got home.

We even had some family come to visit the new arrival.

Why Sheep Milk?

For those of you who haven't visited the Good Shepherd Cheese website and read the benefits of sheep milk, here are some interesting facts on this very sweet and tasty milk.

When we began investigating milking sheep and making sheep cheese, we were only considering the wonderful types of cheese that we could produce using milk from sheep. Little did we know that we were about to embark on creating one of nature's healthiest foods for humans. Sheep milk has nearly twice the fat as cow or goat milk. However, the fats in sheep milk are primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated which have virtually no effect on cholesterol. Plus the fat in sheep milk is made up of short and medium chain fatty acids, making them easier for the human body to digest and eliminate. Sheep milk has more conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) than the milk from goats, cattle, and humans. CLA is a cancer-fighting, fat-reducing fat.

Another added benefit of sheep milk is that people who are lactose intolerant can usually enjoy sheep milk products even if they have trouble with cow or goat milk products.

It gives us a wonderful feeling to know that we are creating a product here on our farm that is a very sought after gourmet sheep cheese that is so delicious and on the flip side, the health benefits make our Good Shepherd Cheese a wonderful choice for health conscience individuals.

Over the past few years many consumers have found that the phrases - eating local, know your farmer & slow food are not just slogans they are a way to be in touch with our food supply.

Our Good Shepherd Cheese is made with all natural ingredients with no preservatives (except the normal amount of salt that is used to help turn milk into cheese). Our sheep graze on natural Kentucky pastures and are only supplemented with natural grain mixtures and minerals needed for healthy sheep. Antibiotics are used only sparingly and in extreme cases, with the animal then being withdrawn from the production herd for the specified amount of time. We never use steroids or growth hormones. We keep our sheep as stress free as possible. Calm, happy sheep give more and better milk.

Photo taken by Sara Dunham.

Wool Facts

I found this information on a card given by the American Wool Council at the Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival. I thought it gave some pretty beneficial information and facts on wool and how to care for your wool fabrics, so I thought I would share this with you.

We love our wool around here.

Why use wool?

American Wool- a renewable, natural fiber
Biodegradable- eco-friendly product.
Color fast- retains its deep, rich color without fading
Drapes beautifully- sturdy for lasting value
Durable- resists snagging and pilling
Easy care- keeps from soiling
Flame resistant- naturally defends against fire
Moisture absorbing- wicks and moves moisture away from the body to be evaporated
Multi-season- insulates and breathes for comfort.
Odor reducing- bacteria not attracted to fiber
Resilient- retains shape, resists wrinkling and stretches with the wearer.
Sustainable- offers a 'green' fabric option
Water repellant- hydrophobic surface repels liquid.

Spot Removal for Wool Fabrics

Alcohol or food: Place towel under area. Gently rub carbonated water toward center of the spot.

Blood: Pat with a damp sponge to remove excess. Then dab very gently with undiluted vinegar followed by cold water.

Butter & Grease: Gently sponge with dry-cleaning fluid.

Chewing Gum: Scrape off excess gum then sponge with dry-cleaning fluid.

Chocolate: Sponge with cold soapy water.

Coffee or Tea: Sponge with glycerin. If none available. use cold water.

Egg: Scrape off excess then sponge with cold soapy water.

Grass: Soap very carefully using a mild bar soap or flakes, or dab gently with a cloth soaked in methylated spirits.

Ink: Immerse in cold water.

Lipstick: Can often be removed by rubbing white bread over stain with a firm gentle motion.

Make-up or shoe polish: Rub gently with a cloth soaked in dry-cleaning fluid. Rinse with mild soapy water.

Motor oil or tar: Sponge with dry-cleaning fluid.

Mud: Allow to dry and then brush off excess mud. Sponge from back with cold soapy water.

Red wine: Immerse in cold water.

A Little Piece of Heaven

Nothing like being on the farm and capturing all of God's beauty.

 

Just Another Summer Day in 2012

It looks to me like these girls are ready for a game of Red Rover. What do you think?

Well not today, I think they're a little hot and tired. Maybe another day.

Sophie

This is Meg (one of our original six sheep) and her ewe lamb Sophie.

Sophie had to have a bath after she was born. She was stained bright yellow.

Even after her bath and days later she remained yellow. We should have known from the start that this little gal was going to be different.

She is such a little ham and very clingy.

Sophie was named by a little lambs club member Jett. It was Jett's birthday and Sophie decided it would be nice to send him a special birthday greeting.

After all that work of putting the birthday greeting together, Sophie was ready for a bottle.

It's always hard to get a picture of Sophie unless your holding her of course. She's always right under your feet, so it's best to have an assistant help take pictures while your trying to keep her out from under your legs.

Sophie a few months later and as you can see she's right at mom's feet.

Sophie is a wonderful sheep. She's just like her mother Meg, she loves attention and she's always one of the first one's to greet you out in the pasture! She has a distinct baa and she's always so dirty and she keeps a very green mouth.  Sophie keeps us laughing, she's brought us so much joy. We can't wait to see what she gives us this lambing season, I'm sure it'll be a treat!!

Two Special Girls

    Dorothy and Rainbow are twin sisters that were born on a very cold, snowy day in March. Their story is pretty special. Dorothy and Rainbow came from one of our first time momma's Sally. At the time these first momma's weren't put in the lambing barn due to the fact they were bred later than our older momma's, so we weren't expecting them to be laboring any time soon.

    Chores were done for the morning, all the animals were fed and checked on, everyone was okay, at least for the moment. When the time came for evening chores, I decided to go out ahead of everyone else so I could put out hay for our first time momma's before we all headed up to the lambing barn to keep a check on our older moms.
   
    I pull up to the fence and as always Marley was there to greet me, I grabbed from the bail of hay laying there to the side and just as I was about to throw it in, there laid a precious little lamb, right where the pile of hay was put earlier that morning. Adrenaline kicked in. No sheep was around it just Marley. I jumped over the fence, grabbed it's frozen body up in my arms. I just knew it was dead but I couldn't take a chance. I swung it back and forth against my hand as I had seen mom and dad do several times after lambs were born, I heard a few noises come from it's mouth. That was my glimmer of hope. She was a beauty, markings like we've never had on a lamb before. I held her close hoping to give her some warmth. I climbed back over the fence, got on the Kubota holding this poor little lamb, I called mom to let her know what was going on, that I'd meet them at the barn. I was sobbing.  I felt completely helpless, I wanted to save her! I made it to the barn before mom and dad could. I took her in and held her close still trying to warm her up, praying that God would take care of her. I struggled to get my finger in her mouth to check her temperature, her little mouth was stiff and the inside was ice cold.
   
    Mom and dad arrived and so did my husband Daniel.  I held her as dad put a feeding tube in her to try and get her warm on the inside, Daniel held the heat lamp over us to help warm her on the outside. Mom went back to the pasture to make sure that was all the lambs. Sure enough in the same spot I found her, mom found another one, only covered in mud. Sally their mother had abandoned her lambs at first, like most first time sheep momma's do, so Marley stepped in, determined to help, dragged the second one to the top of the pasture where I recently found the first one. Now that's a good dog!! Mom brought the second little lamb up to the barn and we worked on her as well. After they each were fed a bit and warmed up for a while they were good as new. Dad and mom went back out to retrieve their mother Sally, and fixed them up a pin in the lambing barn. They were all reunited!

    These two girls are a blessing and have completely stolen our hearts and have even gave us some really good laughs. By the way, Sally turned out to be an excellent momma!!

Sally cleaning her baby and getting her to nurse.

 Daniel helped me come up with the names. He knows I'm a big Wizard of Oz fan so he suggested the name Dorothy and mom came up with the name Rainbow for her sister. They didn't have to pull my leg on those names!!! :)

 Rainbow was worn out from all the excitement.

 These two sure had been through a lot.

 Nothing like having a sibling to help you through the tough times.

You can't tell it in the picture but Sally has the same markings as Dorothy but the coloring of her wool is more faint like a tan color rather than the brown on Dorothy's.  Dorothy gets her looks from her grandma Dottie. Rainbow didn't the markings her sister, mom, and grandma have. She's snow white like her daddy Esau.

A few days older and these girls are really enjoying the bottle that Daniel's feeding them.

These next three pictures were taken by Sara Dunham. She did a wonderful job capturing their personalities. http://myfavoritesheep.blogspot.com/

Rainbow's curiosity got the best of her one night and managed her way out of her pin, causing a few injuries. She was to be kept away from Momma a few days.  Mom and everyone else of course babied her. We kept her in the bath tub at the house and she got plenty of attention. Even Eoghan babysat some.

She was very excited when she got to see her sister.

Rainbow a few months old out in the pasture catching up with mom to get some of her special attention

Dorothy seems to steal the spotlight a lot. 

Two very special girls.....that's for sure!!