Meet the Flock - Hyssop and Hildy

I've had several questions about Calliope's lambs that were born this past Sunday, 1-15-12. They are doing well, thank you.

"I don't want to stay in my crib anymore," says Hyssop

Hyssop

"I like it here in the fiber arts studio," says the lamb.
 "It smells sheepy."

 The little bottle baby finally developed a suck reflex about 4 a.m. this morning. She's been able to swallow what we put in her mouth, but until now, would not suck on a nipple. Life should get easier for everybody now.

Lena decided to name her Hyssop, in honor of the lamb's grand-dam Corriander. Corri was one of the foundations of our flock. Our dam lines all trace back to her, Marjoram, Pennroyal and Thyme. Now that Hyssop's figured out the eating thing, she wants to eat every hour or so. She likes to run around the house, too and is experimenting with the concept of gravity. With Lena's new puppy, Gibbs, only being 17-weeks-old, we are being careful about allowing him to have access to the lamb, so I am babysitting Hyssop in my office this afternoon while Lena runs errands.

"I think I can scratch my face without falling over."

"I don't know why the big sheep all run here
when the two-leggeds come out," says Hildy

Hildy

My dear friend Julia lives in Colorado, but she still has a profound impact on our sheep flock. She has purchased several of Thyme's fleeces and she named Thy's daughter Basil. In 2008, Julia and her husband visited us here in Arkansas. They saw Dapper Dan as a young ram and she really liked him. She thought she might want him when he was weaned. So, we kept him when we sold off the other lambs in the fall. And we kept him the next year, even though he stayed small. And then, in 2010, we started having beautiful, suprise Dan babies. He has matured into an even-tempered ram who grows a wonderful fleece and puts beautiful babies on the ground each year. I think I'll keep him here in Arkansas, even if Julia does make it back to visit.

Half-yearlings Gobi and Guthrie discuss the small sheep,
while Hildy pretends she's more interested in the salt block.

Julia suggested the name Hildy, in honor of Julia's grandmother, for the lamb that Calliope kept.
We don't know the sire of the twins, as Calliope came to the farm bred. However, the only sheep that were on the farm in Fox were the ones originally from our flock, so we are comfortable that they are purebred Jacob.

These twin girls are doing well and growing strong. A good way to start lambing season for 2012!

Calliope's lambs and yarn tensioning

When I looked out the window this morning, Guthrie as very interested in the "wild sheep's" shelter. She was poking her nose in the back. I thought maybe she was stealing hay.

Then I noticed that Calliope Jane wasn't down by the fence with Dan and the flock. But after watching for a while, I saw her head move in their shelter.

After I had my first cup of coffee and while I was putting the marinade on the ribs for this afternoon's bar-b-que, I notice Pequena the llama looking in the shelter. There is nothing in this world that Pequena loves as much as babies. The I saw the sight below.

Lena had headed out already and I hollered, "We've got lambs!" 

Calliope is very wild, but we had just sheared her about two weeks ago. I knew she was expecting, but I didn't think she was this close.

Calliope is from Corriander's line. This line almost always has twins. However, many times the first-born of the twins goes wandering off while mom is having the second. Newborn lambs can get into all kinds of trouble. We've raised many of this line as bottle babies because of this tendency. This morning's first born lamb had was stuck in the fence, between the two shelters, right where Guthrie had been so interested. She was very cold and very weak.

We warmed her up a bit and got a little colostrum down her and put her back out with her sister. However, after an hour, it was very obvious that she was getting much weaker. 

So, I tucked her in my coat, finished chores and brought her in to Lena. Now Calliope has a nice little ewe lamb and Lena has a new bottle baby. Two hours later, they are both doing well. I think it will be fun to let everybody at this afternoon's barbeque name them. 

It's an "H" year if you want to contribute any names.

Yarn tensioning device.
My students ask me about the "right" way
to tension your yarn after spinning,
plying and  washing it. The right way
 is what ever works. Stretching it between
 two bungee cords on the porch
 is pretty typical in the summer.
However, this morning it was 19-degrees outside.
 I love cast iron!