We took a small break from weekly check ins since early March but now that we are in full swing spring mode and we have so much to update!
First off, since we last updated, our newest sheep Oscar was hospitalized for bloat while weaning. Bottle lambs can be so sensitive to food changes and he simultaneously had issues with a little bloat and bit a leaf off of a plant I knew was poisonous while I was leading him outside. It was so early in the year, I didn't even know it was in bloom yet. The poison coupled with his mild bloat was enough for the vet to make the call to keep him overnight for medicine. He then spent a second night for observation later in the week.
Oscar spilled cud for the remainder of the week and since then, has been relatively back to normal. Spilling cud is when the digestive good sheep naturally digest over and over, spills from their mouth. When sheep eat, the grass or hay goes into their rumens, they essentially regurgitate and chew on the cud while they rest throughout the day. Yeah, sheep basically just eat all day. Chewing cud is perfectly normal. Spilling cud, however, is a cause for concern.
Thankfully, Oscar stopped spilling cud within a week. His energy and his appetite returned. From this point on, I am super cautious about what he eats and especially how much he eats. One of the reasons he had bloat was because he was nibbling on wet, early spring pasture. The best feed for a sheep's diet is dry pasture or hay. Wet pasture, especially in the early spring filled with many nutrients can bloat even healthy sheep. After so much research, I can finally say "well now I know for next time" and hope not to make the same mistakes again.
Shortly after Oscar was healed, we brought home our second sheep, Oliver.
Oliver is a five month old ram with a huge personality and a little spot on his head. He likes to herd the other lambs and tell them what to do. Since Oscar hasn't really spent much time with lambs, his herd instincts aren't very strong and he completely ignores Oliver's calls for compliance. This dance has been so fun to watch.
Exactly one week after we brought home Oliver, we brought home Otto and Otis. These two wethers are only 12 weeks old and are the sweetest boys to add to our herd. The stress of travel caused eye infections while they were still in quarantine but those quickly cleared up and they are now with the rest of the herd.
We still have two more lambs to pick up before our spring season is complete! In the meantime, I have been busy processing the very last little bit of fiber that remained from last year's shearing. Our shearing date is in two weeks and we will suddenly be inundated with lots of fiber at that time. Clearing out as much as possible now will save us for then.
This season has brought us some shop changes as well. I am not longer setting the expectation that yarn will be in the shop. Instead, I will continue to offer it as a custom order basis only. I am focusing on producing as much physical finished product as possible this year and setting realistic expectations as I am a one woman show producing items entirely from scratch.
I have big goals of creating a secondhand clothing shop on my page. I thoroughly believe that recycling clothing is the most important part of a sustainable future. I plan to have affordable themed clothing bundles in size inclusive options. Don't see your size? Dm me and I will source them as best as possible. I will update as I build this section of the website to completion.
I sincerely wish all the mothers, step mothers, adoptive mothers, farm moms, grandmothers, pet mothers all a Happy Mother's Day from our farm to yours. Til next week!
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