[Jacob-list] Its the simple things in life!! old ewes.

[Linda]

Thanks, Marie 

I talked to a breeder in SC years ago.  He told me he routinely took all his 7 year old ewes to the livestock auction.  I was flabbergasted!  

Linda
 
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn


> Royal, what a great story, thats the kind of thing that makes you

> keep going, like when you have a few bad lambings in a row and feel

> like you should just give up or that you must be doing something

> wrong or that your sheep would be better of in somebody-else's

> hands, then something like that happens and you can keep going and

> everything will be alright.

>

>

> On old ewes:

> My ewe, Rockie's Joni (a ewe that Royal sold me, thanks Royal), is

> ten (nothing compared to your ewe!) but she lambed twice last year,

> first in January with a 9lb ram, then while still nursing her lamb

> (who weaned as the largest lamb that year) in march she got bred

> again, she continued to nurse him till about June-July (when I

> weaned, I think she would have kept nursing him until she had her

> other lamb and maybe longer), then lambed again in August with an

> 11lb ram, for being 10 years old (and on nothing but grass) I think

> that is pretty good. She is bred again this year and is due

> sometime in April.

> She acts like a yearling and is so agile I can hardly catch her,

> she doesn't look her age either, her black is still deep black.

> Marie

> Spot Hollow Farm

> http://www.freewebs.com/spothollowfarm/index.htm

>

> --- perfectspot at bellsouth.net wrote:

>

> From: Cathy Robinson

> To: Linda

> Cc: Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list]

> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:38:18 -0400

>

> Congratulations, Royal on a happy ending to a wonderful story! 

>

> Linda was right;  Jane was 17 when she had her last set of twins

> and that was 6 years ago.  Last fall during breeding season, she

> was actively flirting with Ben through the fence, but she has

> really slowed down this winter and I have to wonder how long she

> will be with us.  She's acting more and more like a tired old lady.

>

> I don't wish to change the focus from Royal's great story, but we

> had a pretty amazing birth here yesterday....at the other extreme

> of the weight spectrum.  Chicory Lane Chloe delivered a 12# ewe

> lamb after an amazingly brief labor.  I found her in beginning

> stages (lots of squatting) about the time I was supposed to get

> ready for work.  I delayed my departure until the lamb was born,

> and once I saw it, I realized how badly it might have gone.  She's

> the largest newborn we have ever had here.  Mother and daughter are

> both doing fine.  The rains have stopped so they will get turned

> out in the morning, and it will be interesting to see her next to

> some of the "normal" lambs that preceded her by 2-3 weeks!

>

> Cathy

> Perfect Spot Farm

> http://www.patchworkfibers.com/PerfectSpotEwes1.html

>

>

>> Thanks for sharing such a good story!

>> When I first had sheep, I remember hearing the old saws "sheep

>> are just animals looking for a place to die" "a down sheep is a

>> dead sheep".  Jacobs primitive nature keeps them fighting to

>> survive.  They don't just lie down and die.  They've got

>> something between their ears besides air.

>>

>> RubyBelle, age 13, delivered healthy twins on Monday - 6 lbs each!

>>   Anyone that talks to me about my flock for more than a minute

>> knows that RubyBelle is special to me. (thanks, Patrice for

>> selling her to me :-)  and to Craft's for breeding her). While I

>> don't plan to breed 12 year old ewes as a general practice (and

>> RubyBelle has earned her retirement), the fact that her line can

>> do it shows the longevity of her line.  Although, I don't think

>> anyone can beat Cathy's Lady Jane!

>>

>> What's the oldest anyone has had ewes lamb?  We had this

>> conversation 5 or so years ago and I think I remember one farm

>> had a 14 year old and another a 17 year old?

>>

>> Linda

>>

>>

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