The Results...

of whirlwind lambing at our place. It was an eventful 27 hours at Hidaway Farms. We actually finished lambing...we thought we would be going until the 23rd of April. What a crazy year!!

It all started Saturday evening when we figured that Sprinkles was in labor. Katie and I did a barn check at 11:30 pm just as Sprinkles was beginning to really push. She delivered our 2nd set of twins. Above you see the little cuties. Introducing Hidaway Farms Dew, a black ewe lamb with little white hairs on top of her head, and Blizzard, a smirslet flecket ram lamb that will be grey. His fleece is very crimpy just like his sire, Cory. They are both very laid back as you can see.

On Sunday morning when feeding new moms hay, we noticed that Abby seemed to be in labor. So off to church we went and when we returned there was this little handsome fellow that you see above. After his birth, Abby began having the twin to this ram but things didn't look normal. Once we got her in the barn she delivered a stillborn ram completely in his sack. He didn't look normal and probably died several days before. So...Abby has a wild child and his name is Hidaway Farms Avalanche. His sire is Tundra. He jumps and flops and kicks and is the craziest lamb we have ever seen. He is a black and white yuglet (maybe smirslet?) sokket. This evening was his first time out of the lambing pen.

At feeding time Sunday evening, Amelia was acting strange and didn't eat her share of grain. Yes, it looked like she was beginning to labor. We thought she would be the last ewe to lamb around the 23rd. So much for that date! Around 9:45 pm we checked her to find that she was ready to deliver. With a little help she delivered a strapping moorit lad. Boy, did she like him!! Introducing Hidaway Farms Wind sired by Tundra. We have some great mothers!!

The barn was full with 4 lambing pens. No more room...Shania was due on Tuesday...so we were safe...ha! ha! After settling everyone in...about 11:15...I look at Shania who had eaten supper, had been content chewing her cud...all of a sudden...standing up, tail up, smelling the ground where she lay. Looked pretty suspicious!!

Attempted to sleep...Rothey went to check on her at 2:00 am as my Easter vacation was coming to a close and I had to teach Monday. He called...yep...looks like she needs a little help to deliver this very large black and white yuglet sokket ram lamb. Introducing Hidaway Farms Jack Frost sired by Tundra. His horns were already raised at birth! He's a sweetie!

27 hours...4 ewes lambed...4 rams and one ewe!

Total count...8 ewes bred...10 lambs...6 rams...4 ewes...first time ever having 5 singles!!

It won't be hard to decide which ewe lambs to sell...none of them!

Now we are enjoying them as they make friends and play. There is nothing like bouncing baby lambs.

Whew!! It's over and we have almost caught up on our sleep...or is it over?...Tundra broke out into the nonbreeders pasture...could there be June lambs?? We will have to wait and see!

COMING SOON...

wHiRlwInD LaMbInG!!!!

Introducing...

Hidaway Farms Mist (Misty), a fawn (?) smirslet (?) katmoget ewe lamb whose first time mom, Lucille Ball (Lucy), a grey katmoget looks on. Sire is Sycamore Farms Tundra, a black smirslet ram.

Hidaway Farms Twister, a moorit krunet (?) ram lamb out of Gina, a black and white yuglet and Rare Find Farms Cory, a fawn katmoget. It seems that the katmoget and spots cancel each other out and a solid is produced. Crazy, Crazy!

Four down and four to go. Tomorrow is day 146 for Sprinkles who looks like she will have twins. Monday is day 146 for Abby (guessing twins) and Tuesday will be day 146 for Shania. Of course that is if we have their dates right to begin with. We think Amelia will lamb around the 23rd or so of April.

There is nothing sweeter than little Shetland lambs to snuggle with and watch bouncing around their "playpen".

More Singles

...Quick update...

Wednesday early, early morning Gina produced a robust moorit ram lamb with a little white on top his head.

This morning as I went to give hay to our 2 moms in the lambing jugs I was surprised to find Lucy with a dry little katmoget ewe lamb. Today was day 146 for her. We really didn't expect anything yet! Yea, another ewe lamb! That makes our 3rd single and only Lucy is a first timer.

Pictures to come later today...

Finders Keepers

I found these two during the morning (daylight) barn check today. Maybe 30 to 45 minutes old. Charlotte (Windswept Shania and Hidaway Farms Razzle) is a first time mom to these precious ewe lambs. Yes, two ewe lambs. One is a black yuglet (?) and the other is a moorit smirslet (?). They both have four white stockings of varying lengths and mostly white tails.

They are keepers!! Introducing...Hidaway Farms Aurora (moorit) and Hidaway Farms Stormy (black). Charlotte...you did good!!

The proud papa is Sycamore Farms Tundra (Hidaway Farms Bridgett and Bluff Country Sandman).

More pictures to follow as they fill out over the course of the next couple of days.

Today is day 148 for Gina. We are PATIENTLY waiting...not!

It's Just Begun!

Lambing, of course!! Nine-year-old Annie Oakley (grey) delivered a single black ram lamb sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Midnight was delivered, licked clean, and even had breakfast when my husband found them in the barn during the morning barn check. That's the way we like it!!

This year our "theme" for lamb names will be weather happenings. We are looking forward to finding the right lambs to be Mist, Thunder, Wind, Frost, Lightning, etc.

Next up will be Gina possibly on Easter. Then there is Charlotte. We haven't a due date for her yet her udder is larger than anyone's including the ewe that lambed today!!

Thank goodness for Easter Break!!

EWES in Waiting!!

Spring is here!! Thank you, Lord!! Here is a line up of 7 of our 8 bred ewes, a yearling (not bred) seventh in line and an old girl at the end. We only shear at the end of April so they are still in full fleece.

The first in line is Gina. She is a 5-year-old yuglet socket. Gina lambed twice and then had last year off. She is bred to Rarefind Farm Cory, a fawn katmoget.

Behind Gina to the left is Lucille Ball. She is a 2-year-old grey katmoget and a first time lamber. Lucy is bred to Sycamore Farm Tundra, a black smirslet socket ram.

To the right is Amelia Earhart. She is a 2-year-old fawn katmoget with a beautiful lustrous fleece. She is also a first time lamber. Amelia is bred to Sycamore Farm Tundra as well.

Next in line behind Amelia is Sprinkles. She is a 3-year-old grey ewe that will be lambing for the 2nd time. Sprinkles was bred to Rarefind Farm Cory.

Next to Sprinkles is our oldest bred ewe. Spinning Spider Annie Oakley is a 9-year-old grey ewe that will retire from lambing this year. She has been bred to Cory for the first time. The past several years she has given us ram lambs so we are hoping for beautiful replacement ewes with her long fleece.

Then comes Windswept Shania. She is a 6-year-old mioget(?) yuglet sokket and one of our favorites!! We can't wait to see what she will produce with Sycamore Farm Tundra.

After Shania is Solitaire, Sprinkle's yearling ewe lamb.

The moorit smirslet, Charlotte Bronte is next. She is a 2-year-old Shania daughter that will probably be our first to lamb. She was bred to Tundra. Can't wait to see what these two smirslets will produce!!

Last but not least is little Spooky from our original flock that was a freebie. She is 11 years old and living out her time with us. She gave us many tiny lambs at the beginning of our shepherding Shetlands. A fantastic mom that has some amazing survival techniques. Spooky is one of our untouchables.

Abigail, not pictured with this group, is a moorit, 4-year-old Shania daughter. She has also been bred by Tundra with the hopes of some flashy babies. She has the momma waddle down pat!

This past fall was an interesting breeding season. It seemed that the ewes were very late cycling. Then we had bad weather, rain and windy conditions, so we weren't sure of breeding activity by checking messed up wool. We didn't have anything written down for Charlotte, the ewe pictured above. About 2 weeks ago as we were vaccinating, deworming, and trimming hooves, we discovered a very distinct udder. Charlotte appears to be the furthest one along. A few days later, we were able to visibly see her udder as she walked. So...148 days from the time she was put with the ram will be this coming Friday. I guess we just watch and wait...

The next ewes to lamb will be Annie and Gina around April 2nd and 4th. But who knows...Abby has more of an udder than Annie and Gina. The fun has begun!

Here are yearlings Camille and Christmas Jones as they watch us preparing lambing jugs on the first day of SPRING!

What a beautiful day!!