Shearing at Log Cabin Livestock

 Many, many folks have played important roles in my continuing development as a shepherd (or would it be shepherdess?)  Sheep people are incredibly generous with their knowledge and time, and Ben and Denise Bartlett are no exception. This week I was able to repay a small portion of my indebtedness by helping Ben and Denise (owners of Log Cabin Livestock) with shearing.  Ben and Denise own and operate a sheep and stocker steer operation in Traunik, Michigan.  With 450 lambing ewes and 150 head of steer, and lambing about to begin in May, this is a busy busy time for them and as luck would have it, Ben and Denise's farm is only about a mile or two from my own ... well, as the crow flies!  So, on Tuesday morning, I spent a few hours helping keep the sheep moving in so the shearers could do their jobs and get the sheep moving back out!

Sheep Sea

Compared to my tiny flock of 19, this was like a sea of sheep.  And yet, because of Ben and Denise's keen attention to flock behavior (and considerable experience) moving the groups was streamlined, low stress, and efficient.  First, the sheep were divided into smaller groups, from which even smaller subgroups were gathered into a holding pen.  From this pen, individual sheep were moved into a long, narrow chute designed to take advantage of the sheeps' following behavior and which ultimately moved them along to the shearing platform where each sheep could be gathered by a shearer to have their heavy year's worth of fleece removed.  

Chute separates sheared ewes from waiting ewes.

Sheep in the chute

My job was to help keep the chute loaded with sheep so that when a shearer finished with one, another was ready and waiting within an arm's length.  Professional shearers make short work of their task and can easily shear a sheep within minutes.  After each sheep was sheared, Ben's grandson helped clean the shearing stage, readying it for the next client!  

Keeping the shearing stage clear

Puppy love!

Comedic relief was provided by the ranch-hand-in-training, pup Mick.  Not so sure what to make of his wooly charges and always ready to beat a hasty retreat, Mick tried out his clumsy puppy moves on the "not so impressed" and very pregnant ewes!  And while mastering skills for his new career as co-sheep manager (alongside resident dog, Bo) did appear pretty important to Mick, what he was really busy perfecting was his role as top schmooze.  From the looks of it, he's got that part down!  My day wrapped up around midday, the sheep were several pounds lighter and we all crossed our fingers for a smooth lambing season starting in May...that and warm sunshine and green grass...sooner than later!

Snow Storm?

After losing all of our snow over the last week, we now have returned to winter.  And I suppose I should have known better than to wish for spring in mid-April in the Upper Peninsula, yet it was attractive to think that finally the cold snowy days of hauling water through the snow banks had arrived.  I had even managed to get the barn cleaned last week and was looking forward to the outside area drying so we could finally clean up all the winter's accumulated hay.  But it was not to be.  The sheep don't seem phased at all, and they spend as much time as usual resting quietly.  Actually, I think they feel quite comfortable in the 25-30 degree weather, though the gusts of wind are an unwelcome element.  If you look closely, you can just make out the snow sitting on the backs of our rams hard at work eating from their feeder near their shed in the ram pen. The pictures do reflect how overcast and gray the last two days have been.  After several days with sun, it is hard to return to the gloom of winter.  When the sun shines in the winter, it is beautiful as it reflects off the snow and the ice crystals glisten.  But the gray days are many here at this latitude and summer is a welcome reprieve.

On the bright side, it looks like several of the girls are "bagging up" and I am eager to welcome lambs!  Our rams were put in with their respective breeding groups on December 7 last year and that means that lambs are expected on or around May 1.  With a new ram here on Fiddle Knoll Farm, we are anxious to see if he actually covered his girls as we hope.  He is a gray badger Romeldale/CVM ram and turned 2 years old in March this year.  Since it was his first breeding season, one always wonders if a new ram will be up to the job!  Since it appears that at least one ewe in his breeding group, our white Romeldale, Pearl, appears to be producing milk in anticipation of feeding her new lamb(s) we are optimistic that he figured out what his job was.  Several of our Border Cheviot and Clun Forest ewes are also looking good and we can thank our Border Cheviot ram, Bodie, for what hopefully will be another successful season of perky lambs!  Let's just hope that the snow leaves (again) soon!