First lambs of 2009

Friday was an eventful day at Locksley Fields. Lambing for the year was halfway over within a matter of hours and at the end of the day, I, despite being covered in lambing goo, was not the least bit displeased with the results :-)

Pandora was the first show signs of impending labor. That morning she wouldn't come to the feeder for grain. I had resigned myself to the likelyhood that I would need to assist in most of the births this year. The ewes are all 3 year olds lambing for the first time.. plus they went into winter looking very well fed and came out of it looking equally so.. I decided to help when I saw that the lamb's little white feet and nose were sticking out, but so was his tongue. It's a good thing that Pandora and most of the others are friendly and more willing to allow me to get up close, because the last thing I want to do when I'm assisting a birth is to try to first catch a skittish laboring ewe.
I straightened the lamb's legs out, one at a time, so that the “elbows” weren't back with the shoulders.. This makes more space for a stuck lamb. He was a big guy, but eventually he made it out.

This is the most heavily spotted (most white) lamb I've had so far.. It's a moorit yuglet flecket ram. Sire: Locksfield Joaquin Dam: Locksfield Pandora

Within 2 hours of Pandora lambing, Morgance (aka Morgan), was in labor.. This lamb was exactly in exactly the same situation as Pandora's, and so I helped again. The result was a moorit yuglet flecket ewe! Morgan soon had two waterbags, which meant that another lamb was coming. When she started pushing, I discovered that the lamb's entire head was inside of the fluid-filled water bag.. I don't think I've ever had this before... I tore the bag open to free his head so that he wouldn't aspirate fluid and tried to wipe off his nose, all while just his head and feet were out. He was smaller than the other two and Morgan did fine the rest of the way. This lamb is a moorit smirslet ram. These lambs are from Locksfield Joaquin and Locksfield Morgance. They are friendly, especially the ewe.. She has a white side and a flashy side and looks just like Pandora's ram from the white side.

New chickens

In my search locally for Marans chickens, I came across some five week old Black Copper Marans chicks for sale.. Well, these are the current "it" variety because while the other colors of Marans lay dark eggs, the Black Copper ones lay the darkest brown eggs of all... I was also intrigued by the idea of the possibility of Blue Copper, since blue, being a dilute of black, can be paired with black.. I was guessing that since the seller mentioned only getting a few blues from this hatch, I thought they wouldn't be for sale, but he let me buy a pair of Blue Copper, as well as a pair of Black Copper, plus a little Splash Copper freebee (who was smaller than the others and harder to tell what gender it was).. At first I thought it was a pullet, but now I'm relatively sure its another rooster, which is just fine- he's very cool.. Splash is like a double blue genetically, so paired with black, the splash will throw all blue chicks. They are growing fast!

Well, before the week was over I had located a trio of Ameraucanas which included 2 gorgeous blue hens... they came with a rooster also, so now the chicken numbers are even- 4 hens, 4 roosters.. I think I either need more hens, or less roosters..... The rooster seems to have a very nice disposition.. I'll keep him for now because roosters are good guardians for hens and until the Marans get bigger, he's the only one here, but he'll probably be looking for new flock later on..

Here is the Ameraucana group still in their travel cage:

What's happening at Locksley Fields?

I have been neglecting the blog for some time, due to not having much "farm time" as I've been away and occupied with other things. I'm graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in May.. The most difficult by far has been the past 7 months, but the emergence of spring has made me optimistic that it's not that far away.. I have some grand farm-related plans for my post-graduation break.. Well actually a little before that.. Day old chicks will arrive in early May! This will be the second time I've raised chicks.. they were lots of fun last time, but ended up covering the garage in white chick dust and flying out of their pen while their building was under construction. They will now have their own little "barn." The order mostly consists of Ameraucanas ("Easter Eggers") and Cuckoo Marans.. The easter eggers have been a favorite of mine because of their green and blue eggs, good laying rate and attractiveness.. Plus they aren't that large.. I've wanted Marans for several years because they lay very dark brown eggs... Unfortunately it's going to be a long wait before these chicks (who won't even be born for another 2 months) will start laying, so in the meantime I'm looking for some older chickens.. Pictured is my last Ameraucana/Easter egger rooster and a couple of my favorite hens.

The best summer news is that in early June, LAMBS are due! It's been 2 years since I had planned lambs that I was able to raise friendly, so I'm excited.. The four ewes that are set to lamb are Pandora, Morgance, Evangeline and Lumina. Expecting lots of spots! Here they are when they were lambs:

Shearing is April 5th. I would normally shear in March, but with lambing so late, there was no need and I pushed the date back a little due to heavier class workloads in the weeks of late March.

Still 14 sheep on the farm... The rams, Dante and Joaquin, in the post below are still available. May be willing to trade for a nice ram with spot genetics. Hopper is still available too.. I think Kaya's lamb may be available instead of Kaya.. I was planning to keep her in place of her mom, but she's not as friendly.

Last, but never least.. I leave you with a photo of the handsome Mr Jamie...

Available Rams- update

Two proven rams still available! I have decided to sell a couple of ewes and have posted them below this entry. Some of them could be purchased as a pair (or trio) with one of these rams!

Locksfield Joaquin 4/15/2007

NASSA registration # S27915

Sire: Sheltrg Pines Jerome

Dam: Minwawe Hopper

Handsome moorit yuglet sokket ram. Proven- has lambs on the ground. Has great conformation and more single coated fleece. $350

Fletcher Dante

4/9/2003

NASSA registration # S18201

Sire: Fletcher Choctaw Dam: Fletcher Jazzy

Light Shaela (or emsket) blettet ram.. This guy is proven to throw modified colors and spots on his lambs. He is very double coated and has awesome horns. $350

Special ewes available

At this point I am down to a total of 10 ewes and these are my absolute favorites.. Well, I have two reasons for seriously considering selling a couple more.. One, doing so would help pay my rent and keep me moderately sane while I finish my last two semesters of college! And two, if I do so it would create more space and more extra feed/hay, making it more possible that I *could* have a couple ewes lamb next summer!

So I have these three wonderful girls and some of them will make nice pairs or trios with the available rams:

Locksfield Amber Myst S16371

Moorit Krunet/Smirslet Twin Ewe

Born 4/14/2003

Myst has excellent conformation and has produced very flashy spotted (and actually body spotted) lambs with as wool and conformation as nice as her own. She is also a very sweet ewe whose daughters are the most loving girls in the flock.

$325 SOLD

(Myst is compatible with either Joaquin or Dante)

Minwawe Hopper S20441

Moorit Smirslet Tw Ewe

Born 3/25/2005

Hopper had a set of darling moorit and white boys in 2007... Since I didn't breed the sheep last fall, and then put a ram in with the ewes after shearing, there were a few girls that surprised me with fall lambs- and Hopper was one of them! She just weaned this moorit yuglet sokket ram lamb at her side. Hopper has good conformation and is a friendly ewe. She is $325.

(Hopper is compatible with Dante)

Locksfield Kaya Pepper S16367

Black Smirslet/Sponget Ewe

Born 4/5/2003

Kaya comes from a couple of older bloodlines and is very close to Dayspring and Dailley lines (her grandparents). She also has some of the most unique markings I have ever seen. She currently has a lamb at her side and will need to stay here until the lamb is weaned.

$275


Email: locksleyfields@gmail.com

When you least expect...

First, I should update everyone on what's been happening... This summer I decided that I would finish college and would need to move back to Missouri to do so... 650 miles and a new battery later, I'm back and moved in to an apartment close to campus. My parents still have a farm about 45 miles from campus and my remaining sheep live there... Well, I received a call on Friday from my mom and she announced that I had a new sheep.. a newborn lamb! Well this was a bit surprising, as I THOUGHT that Shetlands were seasonal breeders and rarely bred in the spring. I put a ram in with the ewes after shearing due to lack of ram pasture..

Well the surprises were only beginning.... I drove to the farm Friday afternoon and checked on the new baby and mom, Hopper, and found that Kaya was also pregnant.. I then emailed my ewe buyers from this summer to inform them that there could be a chance of lambs. This morning I went out to the barn to discover that Kaya had lambed! Then... I received an email from Mary that twin lambs were born that very morning... AND may have more on the way... I have also heard from Nichol, who has another pregnant ewe.



The first and second photos are Hopper's moorit smirslet boy.. with two socks- on the same side. His face markings look just like his sire Joaquin!

















Here's Kaya's girl..

Kaya and her black smirslet ewe.

This was by far the quickest and most trouble free lambing season I've ever had.. as well as the most unusual!