Lazy Pi Farm

There is a patch of ground between the driveway and a thick clump of trees over a ditch where neither the riding mower nor the push mower can go. This displeases my husband, weep would like to look a little more tidy, since it is right by the street. In past couple of weeks, however, that patch has exploded with wildflowers! I am excited, and my husband is relieved to have a legitimate reason to not tend it.

So far I have seen wild morning glory, Texas star, buttercup, thistle, blanket flower, milkweed (watching that one for caterpillars!), and what I think is water hemlock. Wish it was Queen Anne’s Lace instead! I am thinking I will throw some seeds out, as well as seeds for bluebonnets and other favorites.

Country living is grand!
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Boy, what a frantic couple of weeks! We have had 5 babies born between April 22nd and May 5th. There is only one doe left to kid, and I am not entirely sure she is pregnant; time will tell on that.

The first born was Nebula, who we think was a little premature because she was so quiet for the first week, our she may have had a difficult birth. Every one of these critters managed to give birth in the hours between me obsessively checking on them, without showing that they were in active labor. Stinkers! They like privacy. I want to say to them, “I can help if things go wrong, really!” It all turned out alright this year, though. Nebula is a black doeling with a couple of white spots, born to Kuzu of Stonywoods Farm and Nova of Kai Mohair.

Next was Bonnie, our Jacob/Rambouillet ewe, who we bred to Locksfield Cyrano, our registered Shetland ram. Bailey is absolutely adorable, covered in spots, and very spunky. She is definitely a keeper! Bonnie is so protective, such a good mama.

Next, Summerlin had her first kid, a black doeling; the sire is Kuzu again. Gunpowder, as the kids named her (yup, I have boys) is such a little dear! Summerlin is being a good first time mother, though she is not as attentive or protective as the more experienced mothers. I think she just doesn’t quite get it yet. She will learn. In the meantime, I am keeping an eye on the little one.

Last Sunday, Doileag had twin lambs, a ram lamb and a ewe lamb. I had been checking on her a lot, and she STILL managed to have them without me! It was a beautiful day to be born, warm and sunny, and they were toddling around almost immediately. Sheep are so much easier than goats. We are keeping the ewe and selling the ram as a wether for fiber. These two are pure registered Shetland.

So that is it! We were so lucky this spring – 5 babies, 4 girls, all healthy, and all the mamas healthy too. We might have one more still to go. I call that a successful spring!

An acquaintance is looking for an excellent home for her sheep. She is in Texas, is moving and cannot take them with her. She has 3 NASSA registered Shetland ewes, a Shetland wether and a Shetland/Babydoll wether. Since she bought 3 of them from me some time ago, I would like to help her find a home for them.

This ewe, Piper, I remember as being particularly friendly. She has tiny scurs, which means she might have horned ewe lambs. Her wool is light gray, a mixture of black and white fibers.

This ewe, Princess Dot, has really lovely tight lock structure. She usually has twins. She is moorit and white, and her wool is an ecru color.

This is Dot’s yearling daughter, with Locksfield Cyrano, the ram we use. I don’t know much about her personally, but she certainly has a nice pedigree.

A wether.

Babydoll/Shetland wether. This guy needs to go on a diet! This is Comet’s brother. Comet was also prone to pigging out.

The two wethers with Dot’s daughter.

Send me an email at lazypifarm@gmail.com if you are interested and I will put you in touch. The last I heard I think she wanted $150 each for them, but that is ultimately up to her. I am just the messenger!

Xander: yells something indistinct from the back door.
Me: “For crying out loud, boy, come to me and tell me what you need!”
Xander: comes across the house to say “I said, can I use the hoof pick to clean the chicken poop off my shoes!”

Dag nabbit!

This is a tiny picture from far off because the sheep are antisocial right now. As we approach lambing, they will want to be around me (and the goats, and everyone else) less and less. When they lamb, they usually do so off in a quite corner of the pasture, quietly and quickly. Most of the time, the most warning we get that there is a new lamb is, well, the new lamb. But I am keeping a close eye on udders this year, so maybe I will get a chance to stay close to them come lambing. This picture vividly illustrates the difference between Doileag and Bonnie. Doileag is an older Shetland ewe; I think she is 5 now. (I would have to check her papers.) She usually has twins and carries them like saddlebags. She has a big udder, and I wish she was calm enough to milk, because she makes a lot! Bonnie, on the other hand, is a 2 year old Jacob. She had a single lamb last year, and we did not think she was pregnant until she showed up with a lamb. I question whether she is pregnant this year, too. Only time will tell. If she is, then she will almost certainly have a single, and carries it … well, in a pocket dimension, it would seem! Every sheep is an individual. Just like every cow, chicken, goat or donkey. They all have their quirks. I love that my animals have strongly distinct personalities. Their lives make my adjacent life better.

This morning I saw a wild verbena growing in the tight space between the drive and the fence, blooming merrily. It made me happy.

The gras is always greener over the septic tank.