We always have lots of stuff going on in the background, even if it’s not evident from our blog (sorry!) Here’s a midwinter update:
Sheep & Wool: We’re planning on a February shearing – our breeding season got off to a somewhat late start, so our first lambs will probably not arrive until April. We have a few people looking for raw Romeldale fleeces already on our list. If you’re looking for something in particular, be sure to reach out and we can get you added. The Fleece Matchmaker is a great way to do this, as it saves your preferences for us and makes it easy for us to make some good suggestions for you! Birth announcements will be added to our New Lambs! page. We’re collecting names for our “F” year – if you have any good ones that match up with the ewe’s name, we’d love to hear them!
Scotch Collies: We’re waiting on pins and needles to confirm a future AngusXFreya litter. Dogs are unusual in that the female’s body is hormonally the same during diestrus (the end portion of the heat cycle) whether she’s pregnant or not. This makes it difficult to confirm pregnancy until about halfway through their 2 month gestation period. We have high hopes that this breeding was successful and are moving forward with preparations and prenatal care. Because Angus is a tri-factored sable merle, and Freya is a tri-factored sable (aka shaded sable) a wide variety of colors will be possible in this litter. We will do our best to honor color preferences, but our biggest priority is matching each pup’s temperament to the needs of their future families. It is our ultimate desire to produce physically healthy, mentally stable dogs that enrich their owners’ lives, resulting in a mutually beneficial, lifelong match. We invite you to learn more about our Old-Time Scotch Collies and the upcoming litter, sign up for email updates, and if so moved, submit a Puppy Application that will allow us to know you and understand what kind of Scotch Collie would fit you best!
Family Milk Cows: Wren has gone to her new home – the same farm where Kylo, Emily’s bull calf now resides! We’re delighted that they’re together again, and the new owners have agreed to update us with photos as they grow and any lineback calves sired by Kylo. Charlotte is doing well as we wait for her May Chrome heifer calf. Stella is growing well – she missed her county fair 4-H debut this past year, but we’re aiming to try again this year.
Poultry: The chickens hate the snow, but they’re hanging in there and we’re getting decent egg production. This past fall we purchased a trio of Muscovy ducks (Peanut, Ripple and Fawn) and we’re hoping there will be ducklings aplenty come spring.
