[Jacob-list] test and winter waitings

[Mary Hansson]

Hi all,

Just checking to make sure the list is alive and well.
 I am shipping this out at 7:24 am Friday EST (FYI
Mark if you are checking :O)).

Just thought I would mention that since lambing season
is coming up or upon us, that there are a few items we
need to keep handy.  One of those would be a camera so
we can record the momentous events and share them with
the world.  Lots of us enjoy seeing pics of lambs as
they are growing.

Conditions are so varied from one part of the country
to another.  Some breeders lamb out early in the
spring (like now) to get a head start on the show
season or to avoid the parasite bloom of later spring.
 Some wait until lambs can be born in warmer
conditions out on the pasture without supervision or
extra care.  This breed does well under many varied
circumstances.

I like lambing in January/February, but my lambs seem
to want to come in February/March/April no matter when
I put the rams in.  Rams are usually with their
girlfriends by the beginning of August, in large part
because I can't stand them any longer.  Their hormones
are raging, and they are getting testy with each
other.  That settles right down when they get mixed in
with the girls---even when the girls don't give a rip
about their presence.

I used to go out ever hour or so to check on the ewes
at night to make sure nobody was in labor.  Well, that
got a bit old, was terribly cold, and sheep could be
sneaky.  Marsha Van Valin mentioned a baby monitor in
her barn one day when I was talking with her on the
phone and a giant lightbulb went off in my head.  The
kid's monitor (now over 14 years old) is still sitting
out in the sheep shed, working away.  As long as the
sheep are close enough to the monitor to pick up
activity, I USUALLY know what is going on without
having to get my feet cold climbing out of bed.  The
routine sheep noises at night are also comforting
everytime you wake up.  

Hope everybody is up and ready with their coffee this
morning.  Have a great day.

Mary Ellen 

=====
Mary Ellen Hansson, MEd, RD, LDN
ISeeSpots Farm
Jacob Sheep:  Lambs, adults, wool
www.iseespots.com