Kellane Farm

2012 Babydoll Southdown Calendar Contest: Take Two

2011-12-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

One of the winners in my first drawing did not contact me....so I re-entered everyone else into the random number generator. The winner this time is:

kcheryl

The winner of my Facebook contest is:

Lael

Congratulations to both of you! Please contact me before January 15 with your addresses.

Another Contest!

2011-12-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Want another chance to win a 2012 Babydoll Southdown sheep calendar? Well, here ya go! To enter, all you have to do is "like" our Facebook page. If you have already "liked" our page then you are automatically entered!

On Monday, December 12, I will yet again use the random number generator (RNG) to determine the winner. Check back then to see if you've won!

2012 Calendar Contest Results!

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

EEK! I was supposed to post the results on Friday, but was so preoccupied by something I had to do last evening that I totally forgot. SO SORRY to those of you who checked back here yesterday!

I assigned numbers to everyone who commented - 1 through 12 and inserted those number into the random number generator.

The winners are (insert drum roll here):

Michelle
Rachel

Congratulations!!
Please contact me at kellanefarm@gmail.com and give me your addresses!

In the Spirit!

2011-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

These aren't Babydoll sheep, but they are cute nonetheless. I just love their scarves!!

2012 Babydoll Southdown Sheep Calendar Contest

2011-11-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

This year I had the pleasure of being the calendar coordinator/creator for the North American Babydoll Southdown Sheep Association and Registry (NABSSAR). We had a lot of great photos submitted by various Babydoll breeders throughout the United States and the calendar turned out really beautiful - if I do say so myself. My favorite photo is on the cover. This photo was submitted by Julia Daigneau of Flying D Farm in Omak, Washington. Here is the front cover of the calendar (without the black box - it is there to make the calendar stand out better):

I will be giving away two copies of the calendar this year. Everyone who comments on this post will be entered into a random number generator. The winners will be announced on Friday, December 2, 2011 - so be sure to check back on that day. If I don't hear from the winners by Monday, December 12, 2011 then I will re-enter the names into the RNG.

These calendars would make wonderful holiday gifts. Who wouldn't want to look at pictures of cute little woolly faces each day? If you would like to purchase a calendar (or calendars), please click on the following link:
http://www.zazzle.com/babydoll_southdown_sheep_nabssar_2012_calendar-158610923214192921

In Remembrance of Ella

2011-10-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm very sad to announce that on Friday, October 21, 2011 my beloved Ella passed away. She was the second lamb born on Kellane Farm and thus held a special place in my heart. Don't get me wrong...all of my sheep are special. Each has a unique personality and are dear to my heart in different ways - much like my human children.  Unlike her twin sister (Nera), Ella was a sweetheart from the beginning. Like Maggie, she learned to trust me early on and wouldn't hesitate to come to me for scratchies. Ella and Maggie were my official greeters every day.....the first to "Baa" as I step out the door in the morning and the first to meet me at the gate.  I can tell my sheep apart not just by appearance, but also by the sound they make.....and I will miss Ella's forceful (and a wee bit obnoxious) "BAAAAAAAA."

There is a saying - "A sick sheep is a dead sheep." A rather crass saying, but most of the time it is true. Sheep are very stoic creatures and it is difficult to tell when they are sick.  A lot of times the shepherd/shepherdess doesn't realize that the sheep is sick until it is extremely ill and about to die. I check my sheep at least twice a day - morning and evening. I'm home most days, so I frequently look out the windows and/or go outside and observe my sheep (which I find very relaxing). However, even with all of this observation I still missed Ella's illness.

Two days before Ella died she started "blowing" (losing) her wool. Usually this means that they've had a fever or suffered extreme stress. Since we have coyotes that often get too close to the house at night, I thought that it was stress because she otherwise seemed fine. However, the next day she wasn't standing right so I had the vet come out.  Dr. Brown drew blood and took a fecal sample, but told me that it didn't look good. Ella's blood was very watery - which meant that she was anemic. Immediately I thought "worms," but this didn't make sense to me because I had wormed my sheep several times this summer. Apparently this wasn't enough. The lab results showed that Ella had a heavy load of strongyles that were depleting her body of nutrients.  The vet said that the only way we could've saved her at that point was blood transfusion and blood transfusions in sheep are tricky because they have blood types just like humans. By the time we got the right type she still probably would have died.

Ella hadn't re-gained condition after lambing and because I had wormed her several times I thought her condition was a result of the low quality hay we had (finding good quality hay around here is quite the task, but we were finally able to get some at the end of August). Now I know better. From now on I will be more vigilant about worms. Per the vets orders, I wormed the whole flock yesterday and will do so again in a week. Hopefully that will take care of the issue and prevent this from happening again.

Rest in peace Ella....I'll miss you and your sweet woolly face!!

Nera (L) and Ella (R) at birth

Ella
April 22, 2009 - October 21, 2011

Playing "Jump Off the Stone Slab" with Nera

"Woo Hoo! This is FUN!!!"

As Ella makes another leap back onto the slab,
Lucy appears to be saying "Kids....whatcha going to do with them?"

Taking a break from "Slab Jumping" for a sisterly snuggle

Ella at two months of age. Boy, lambs sure do grow fast!

Ella and her lamb, Chessa

Cooler Times

2011-10-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has taken me a while to sit down and do a blog entry. I took the photos below at the beginning of September and had every intention of sitting down and doing this entry right away. Unfortunately, however, time got away from me.

Since this was such a horribly hot and buggy summer, I spent most of my time hiding inside in the air conditioning. This isn't such a bad thing because I started working on my art again. I have three paintings in progress and they are each in a different medium. I rotate between them in order to keep from getting bored. Of course, I haven't given up my knitting, so that keeps me busy as well. There have been plenty of times when I wish there were more hours in a day. It would also be nice if I wasn't one of those people who need about eight hours of sleep each night in order to function properly.

On the day that I took the following photos, the weather had FINALLY cooled below 90 degrees. It was nice to be able to get outside and work in the yard....even though the bugs were still a wee bit annoying. The "girls" enjoyed being let out of their pen so that they could eat grass and acorns. They love acorns and will go around the yard like little vacuum cleaners "hoovering" up as many as they can find. I have read that acorns and oak leaves can be toxic to sheep in large quantities. So far I haven't had a problem, so either it must be an extremely large quantity that is toxic or the sheep that are poisoned are consuming them as the bulk of their diet.

As you can see, my flowerbeds are in very sad shape. The Black-Eyed Susans definitely took over this year and I have spent quite a bit of time ripping them out and relocating and/or composting the excess. I prefer flowers/plants that aren't invasive and can pretty much take care of themselves. Therefore, hostas and daylilies are the ideal plants for me!

Having a full supply of hay for the winter is a huge relief. Kirk, Tony (my daughter's fiance) and I spent an entire morning/afternoon moving and storing all of the bales. It was a LOT of work, but totally worth it. I certainly couldn't have done it without Kirk and Tony and I really appreciate all of their hard work. The sheep do too!!

"Mowing" by the driveway

Hay shed....stocked full for winter!

A view of the center circle of the driveway.
I've been slowly adding plants ever since we moved here!

More hay stockpiled for the winter!!

The Black-Eyed Susans that are taking over the flowerbed

You can see the hostas, but it's almost impossible
to see the daylilies and rosebush that are in there!

The girls thought they would come see what I
was doing...and see if I needed help with any weeds.

Summer 2011 - UGH!!!!

2011-09-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it's September 1 (the first day of school here in Wisconsin) and it is supposed to be in the 90's today. Which leads me to the question: is summer ever going to end? The forecast says that it should cool off this weekend - with highs in the 70's. Hopefully that is true. As most of you know, I absolutely hate summer and this one has been a doozy. WAY too hot and humid....and the bugs have been horrible. The poor sheep didn't get sheared until much later than usual and as a result the bugs had a field day on their exposed tender skin. I think that they are just as eager as I am to see the end of summer!

The end of July brought another bittersweet day here at Kellane Farm. On July 29, three of my sheep went to their new home with Lorrie Gering. The Gering Family have a blueberry orchard in Mosinee, Wisconsin. Chessa, Kip and Lucy are going to be organic mowers, weedeaters and fertilizers for their orchard. Sounds like an excellent life for a sheep!!

Lorrie used her minivan to transport the sheep to their new home. She removed the back row of seats, put down a tarp, and covered that with a layer of straw. There was just enough room for all three sheep to fit comfortably - even with the big Lucy girl! We put the two smaller sheep in first (Kip and Chessa) and then Lucy. The first time Lucy managed to jump right back out, but I quickly caught her with some grain and we got her back in (slamming the van hatch as quickly as possible so as to prevent another escape!).

Evidently the ride home went as smoothly as possible. No scrambling sheep. No loud baaing. Lorrie said that they were even so considerate as to not make much of a mess. :)

Here are some photos that Lorrie has allowed me to share:

"Hey - I wanna ride up front!"
Lucy in the back of the van

Chessa during her van ride

Chessa, Kip and Lucy at their new home

mmmmmm......delicious grass!!

One of Lorrie's daughters with Chessa

A new friend!!

Introducing.....Shaun!

2011-07-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable. I LOVE "Shaun the Sheep." I own a sheep farm. So it's perfectly obvious that at some point I was going to name one of my sheep "Shaun" - right?

Remember Maggie's cute little ram lamb? The one that I was going to sell...so I didn't give him a name? The poor guy has been referred to - but only in my head, not out loud - as "Bitsy Bean" all this time. Well, I've decided to keep him. He is SUCH a beautiful ram (or shall I say "handsome") and has a wonderful personality to boot. Of course, he hasn't really hit puberty yet so he still could turn into a little toot, but right now he is a sweetheart. By this, I mean that he hasn't tried to ram me yet. He will come up to me (and sometimes lick my leg), but he has yet to even dip his head in my direction. Now THAT is my kind of ram. His daddy is totally the opposite. Master Keegan was a toot from day one. He even butted my friend, Lea, the day that we picked him up from Sheepfields Farm! I've had to give Keegan "refresher" flips (flipping him on his butt any time he tries to ram me) on a frequent basis. One time I even had to throw a half-full bucket of water in his face to get him to back off. Needless to say, he totally avoids me when I have a bucket now. However, his son is another story. This guy is as sweet and laid back as his mom - Maggie.

When I announced yesterday that I'd finally decided to keep Maggie's ram, my son Evan asked "so, what's his name?" When I replied that he didn't have a name, Tony (my daughter's fiance) piped up and said "Shaun! Shaun the Sheep!" I immediately googled the name Shaun. It is Celtic and means "God's Gift." Yes!!! I knew that this was the perfect name for this little guy!

SO....meet Shaun. Shaun the Sheep (of Kellane Farm)!!

What's For Dinner???

2011-06-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

LAMB!!!

Well, not really. It's just that we have another "feeder hopper" and I managed to catch her in action. Itsy bitsy Chessa loves to jump into the middle of the feeder while everyone is eating....much to the other sheep's disgust. I can just see the annoyed looks on their faces as she hops around in the middle of their dinner.

The other night I realized that I hadn't brought out enough hay and had gone back to the shed to get more. When I got back, Chessa was smack dab in the middle of the feeder. That's the first time I'd seen her in there. She is such a tiny little thing that it surprised me...I didn't think she could leap so high. I picked her up, gave her smoochies, and told her not to do it again. However, I had barely set her back down and turned to go when she leaped back up again. She looked like a little goat! I just chuckled and headed back to the house - hoping that I'd be able to get photos of it the next night. Of course, she didn't let me down and I got some photos for ya'll to see:

Pretending to eat like the "big kids" and adults

Hey everyone...look at me! I'm Queen of the Mountain!!!

See the look of disgust on Lucy's face?
(she's the ewe on the left)

YAY! That was fun!!
Doesn't everyone need dinner AND a show?!?

Chessa

2011-06-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that Ella's lamb already has a wonderful home awaiting her when she is old enough to be weaned. This sweet little cherub of a lamb will be a new member of the Gering family. They have christened her with the name Chessa - which means "at peace." I think that it is a perfect name for this lamb, as she has a very calm, laid-back personality.

Kip will be joining little Chessa since I no longer need him as a companion for my white ram. While I hate to see Kip leave, I have to be practical and realize that we only have so much space here at Kellane Farm. Therefore, we really should only keep sheep that are a vital to our breeding program.

Below are some photos from Chessa's first day out of the jug. She decided that the flower bed at the front of the house looked like a good place to play, so that is where she headed first. Unfortunately, however, her mother followed....and started munching on my daylilies. Needless to say, they were quickly evicted from the garden.

Leaping out of the flower bed

oooph.....it's hard to climb out....it's a jungle in there...

why does that crazy lady always follow
me around with the strange silver thingy?

all of this play time has worn me out...time for a nap!
(half-sister Kida in back)

Are you still there? Why don't you go
point that thing at someone else for a while?

New Kids on the Block

2011-06-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

With all of the excitement of the lambing season, I've been remiss in blogging about the new black lambs that arrived at the end of April. These absolutely gorgeous sheep came from Fuller's Hamps and Downs in South Dakota. They were born last fall and were ready to go to their new homes at the beginning of the year. However, around that time I had surgery and needed six weeks to recover. As it turns out, Marc and Mary Ann Bellazini of Campo di Bella Farm in Madison, Wisconsin also purchased lambs from the Fullers and planned to pick them up at the end of April. Jody Fuller put me in contact with them to see if they would be willing to drop my lambs off on their way back home (Black River Falls is just off the interstate on the way to Madison)....and they very kindly said "yes!"

The naming poll results ended with "Kade" for the ram and "Kaia" for the ewe. This is very interesting because Kirk and I have a good friend named "Cade" and my college roommate's name was "Caia." Both names are very appropriate for these sheep. Kade is very timid (his name means "gentle") and Kaia is very sweet and naive (her name means "pure").

Kade and Kaia

hmmm....since he won't move out of the way,
I wonder if I can go OVER this thing to get away from the scary lady

Sweet Kaia

Handsome Kade

Ella's First Lamb - A GIRL!

2011-05-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at around 10 a.m., I was sitting at the computer typing an email when Lucy started baaing like crazy in the back pen (which is the nursery because it's the only pen I can "babyproof" to keep the lambs from escaping). I stepped out the back door to tell her to "hush" and that "NO, she wasn't coming out" (the day before I'd let them out to graze and getting them back in the pen was a total fiasco) - when I heard a high-pitched "BAAAA" coming from the other pen. It seems that Lucy was trying to tell me that there was a baby in distress. Ella had delivered and was totally ignoring the baby....wandering around the pen with a dazed look on her face like "uh, what do I do now?" A lot of first time moms have this reaction - which is why I was so surprised when Maggie started mothering her little boy right away. Fortunately, Ella's lamb was vigorous and didn't have any signs of a stressful birth. She was baaing and trying to stand up as I ran inside to get my lambing bucket.

When I got back outside, I started rubbing the little ewe lamb with towels and coaxed Ella to come over - which she did. However, any time the baby would lurch towards Ella, she would take off in the other direction. After tying off and cutting the cord, I took the baby to the jug. Normally, the ewe will follow wherever you take her lamb. Not Ella. As soon as I opened the pen, she headed off with the others to eat grass. I had to bribe her with grain to get her into the jug with her lamb. At first Ella didn't want to let the baby nurse, so I had to hold her. However, once the baby had her first meal things immediately clicked into place and Ella seemed to realize "hey, I'm a mom now....guess I'd better take care of this little thing!"

Here are some photos of the little tyke. Ella didn't do the greatest job of cleaning her, but she is still cute as a button!

About an hour old

Resting after her first meal

Poor soggy puppy!

As you can see, her mommy didn't
do a very good job of cleaning off the "goo"

Nite-Nite!

Maggie's Lamb - First Day Out

2011-05-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken the first day that I let Maggie and her lamb ("Bitzy Bean" is what I call him, although that isn't his name) out of their jug. It was a beautiful spring day and watching this cute little creature find his legs and explore his new territory was quite entertaining!

Aren't I a handsome fellow?

Hmmm....what's this crunchy thing?!?

What's that over there?

it's a giant stack of cut trees!

better head back to mom...

what's so interesting about this green stuff, mom?

Peekaboo!

woo hoo! my legs have springs in them!!

snack time...gotta refuel for my adventures!

What is THAT?!?!? It's BIG and SHINY!
The writing says Mr. B the Handyman.
Hmmmm...wonder if he could use some help?!?

Lucy Finally Delivers!!

2011-05-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

This morning at 7:00 a.m. I was awakened by a loud, sharp "Baa" from Ella. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window to see what was going on. Lucy was in the hut near a large dark spot and as I watched her she kept circling around and smelling it. She then started making the low "baaing" noises of a ewe in labor. I threw on my clothes, grabbed my lambing bucket, and headed outside (Kirk was home this morning, so he joined me). We stood and watched Lucy for about 40 minutes - until it became clear that she wasn't progressing. I called my vet, but unfortunately she couldn't come because she's having a seminar at her clinic today. After about 40 minutes of trying to deliver the lamb on our own (with the assistance of a friend - thanks Yogi!), Kirk and I gave up, put Lucy in the back of the truck, and drove to the vet's clinic. The vet also had a bit of trouble getting the first lamb out (which gave me some consolation since she has been doing this for over 20 years)....and unfortunately the little white ram lamb was dead. She had no difficulty pulling the second lamb - a healthy large white baby girl.

It pains me to lose a lamb. As I've said before - that is the worst part of being a shepherdess. The sense of helplessness when I realize there is nothing I can do is overwhelming...and I cannot help but second guess myself when something goes wrong. However, as several experienced shepherds/shepherdesses have told me: "you can't beat yourself up over it because these things happen." I just have to chalk it up as another lesson learned and move forward.

We have not made our final decision yet, but this little girl might be staying here at Kellane Farm. If we do keep her, she will probably be named "Kida" - which means "blessed" in African and "raising away the darkness" in Kiowa Indian. The idea for the name came from my daughter...the Disney Princess fanatic. Kida is the princess in "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." It is one of the names that I had listed in the poll for the new black ewe, but Kaia was the winner. I think that a name with the meaning "blessed" is very fitting for this little girl!!

Here are some photos of the new cutie pie:

Catching some zzz's...after a tumultuous
birthing experience and 40 minute ride in a pickup!

Sweet Baby Smile!

Sweet Kisses from Mommy

Maggie's Lamb Playing

2011-05-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that I took of Maggie's little boy yesterday. Two things come to mind when I see these adorable little lambs:

1. Babydoll lambs are so tiny when they are born!

2. It amazes me how quickly they become this agile. In less than 20 hours of age these little creatures are bouncing around. Totally amazing!

Maggie's First Lamb - It's A Boy!!

2011-05-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks, poor Lucy has had a huge bag and a bulging, round belly (poor thing looks like a baby hippo).  She looks like she could deliver at any moment. Therefore, I've been checking on her around the clock - looking out the window throughout the day and keeping my windows open at night to hear if she goes into labor (ewes will usually start baaing when they are about to deliver).

Last night at around 7:45 I wandered over to the window for a "Lucy check." As I was staring at Lucy, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw that Maggie was delivering her lamb!! That totally surprised me, as Maggie didn't show any signs of labor when I fed her just an hour earlier. I yelled to Kirk that Maggie had just delivered her baby and ran to get my lambing bucket. Kirk made it out to Maggie before I did and was able to make sure the lamb was alive and breathing okay.  Afterwards, he said that when he arrived Maggie was doing a good job of cleaning the lamb and stimulating him with her tongue.

Our arrival surprised Maggie and she backed off. I hate to interfere with the birthing process, but after losing a lamb I still get a wee bit nervous and want to make sure everything is okay. Fortunately, Maggie trusts me very much, so when I talked to her she came right over and started licking the lamb again. After drying him with towels and dipping/tying his umbilical cord, we then moved him and Maggie to a jug. (NOTE: A jug is a small pen just for the ewe and lamb. The confined area better enables the mom and baby to bond. They stay in this area for three days before going back to the pen with the other sheep.  It is important to make sure the ewe and lamb have bonded properly so that the ewe will not abandon the lamb in the larger area). I have been checking on mom and baby every four hours and everything seems to be going well. Maggie is a great mom (which is good for a maiden ewe) and the lamb is very vigorous.

People have asked about a name for the little guy. Since I will be selling him, I haven't given him a name.  That is to be decided upon by the buyer.

Ahhh....this heat lamp feels good!

Hey, lady, do ya mind? I'm trying to nap here!

What the heck did she just put on me?!?

I'm not sure if I like this thing...

I'm going to try to hide behind momma now...
then maybe the crazy lady will go away!

Spring?

2011-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night to the sound of a thunderstorm. Big fat raindrops, thunder and lightening. It felt like spring! However, this morning I awoke to a different world....a winter wonderland!! As anyone who reads this blog knows - I LOVE SNOW - so I am not at all complaining....and neither are the sheep. They were in high spirits this morning. As I approached with their food, they all started running around and making little leaps into the air (known as pronging or popcorning). Even Lucy - my big huge hippo girl - gave a little leap. I couldn't believe my eyes as I didn't think it was possible for her to get all that weight off of the ground! Food always excites the sheep, but not to this extent. I think they're all just happy for the snow. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch all of the excitement. I don't usually carry a camera with me, but I probably should because of times like this morning.

Soon spring will be here in full force. Lots of rain and mud. I like rain, but the mud I can do without...and I think that my sheep agree. Until then, my sheep and I will enjoy as many more snowy Wisconsin days that God gives us!!

The view from our front yard towards the left side of the house

Our house with brand new windows and doors.

Hopefully we will have new siding put on this year.

Ranger was also feeling frisky

I just HAD to include this photo showing our totally UNdignified ram.
He crams his front end into the feeder as far as it can go and spreads his back legs out like this. Totally ridiculous - eh?

Kirby, Kip and Keilah chewing their cud contentedly as it snows

The Prisoner

2011-03-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

Not once....not twice...but at least FIVE times now, little Miss Kirby has managed to get herself stuck in the feeder. At first I just couldn't figure out how she managed this feat. However, one morning as I watched her eating I noticed that she would put her front feet inside the tub. Sometimes the sheep will put their feet on the side of the feeder and bend over into the tub. Not Kirby. She puts her entire front end into the feeder. This isn't difficult for her to do because she has a skinny neck and shoulders. I've never actually witnessed her climbing into the feeder, but I imagine that she does it by stretching out her back legs (trying to get to every last morsel of hay) and then stepping them in one at a time. Once she is inside the feeder she is unable to stretch out her body enough to get back out. She can get her front feet out, but her fat little bottom gets stuck. It's actually quite humorous. Thankfully, the pens are close to the house and throughout the day I am able to look out the windows and check on the sheep. That is how I discover our "prisoner" and come to the rescue. The first couple of times it really freaked her out, but now she is used to it and we will find her just lying there contentedly chewing her cud. I kept forgetting to get pictures until Evan reminded me today. He has had to lift Kirby out for me the last two times since I'm on medical restrictions.

You there! Stop taking photos and come get me out of this thing!!

Mwahaha....I've got you now my pretty!

How undignified!!

Okay, okay...you can let me go now!!

Psst....keep it up...maybe next time she'll bring us treats!!

Naming Poll

2011-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned two black sheep that will be joining our flock soon. This means that we get to play the name game again...something my daughter, Hayley, and I really enjoy. I will probably succumb to Hayley's request and name the girl after a Disney princess (I have included this name in the choices - although I must admit that I had to google it to see what movie it came from). However, I still want to get opinions from other people. On the sidebar I have included two separate polls: one for the ram and one for the ewe. Please choose your favorite from each group. Thanks!!

To help with your decision, here are the names with their meanings and origins:

BOYS

Karsten: "Follower of Christ" (Latin)
Kade: "gentle; lumpy; round" (English)
Kona: "World Rule" (Gaelic)
Keoni: " God is Gracious" (Hawaiian)

GIRLS

Kaia: "Pure" (Greek)
Katania: "little; small" (Hebrew)
Kyrie: "Lord" (Latin)
Kida: "Raising the Darkness" (Kiowa Indian)

Black Sheep

2011-02-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the saying that someone is the "black sheep" of the family? Well, back in the "old days," black sheep were considered of lesser value than white because their wool could not be dyed. Shepherds tried very hard to only breed white sheep, but occasionally a black would pop up. These black sheep were then culled out of the flock (which usually means they ended up on the dinner table). So, as you can see, it was less than desirable to be born a black sheep....and the saying began to circulate with regards to being an outcast in the family.

Nowadays, black sheep have a place in the world because modern handspinners love the wide variety in natural colors of wool. These colors include varying shades of brown, black, grey, and cream. Some fiber artists still like white so that they can dye it in the colors of the rainbow, but the natural colors definitely have their place in the market. Therefore, a sheep that is born black doesn't necessarily have to fear for its life anymore.

Here at Kellane Farm LLC, we have definitely found that black sheep aren't the lesser desired creatures of their ancestors. Our 2011 waiting list for lambs is pretty much 50/50 for black and white preference. Also, we are already completely sold out of brown roving until our next shearing/processing. Black sheep of the family? I think not!!

Since we only have one little black sheep right now - my sweet little Miss Maggie - the decision was made to add two more to the flock (a ram and a ewe). Both of these sheep are from Bill and Jody Fuller of Fuller's Hamps & Downs Farm in Clark, South Dakota. These little lambs were born in the fall of 2010. The ram is codon tested RR - just like our white ram, Master Keegan. So now we will have a white and a black ram!

I'll leave you with photos of our new flock members. They aren't here at the farm yet. I'm hoping to make a "lamb run" and pick them up in April. Also, we haven't named them, so as of right now I will just post their photos with their ID numbers.

codon tested RR black ram #1014 - Fall 2010

(photo courtesy of Fuller's Hamps & Downs)codon tested RR black ram #1014 - January 2011

(photo courtesy of Fuller's Hamps & Downs)

black ewe lamb #1011 - Fall 2010

(photo courtesy of Fuller's Hamps & Downs)black ewe lamb #1011 - January 2011

(photo courtesy of Fuller's Hamps & Downs)

Babydoll Southdown Wool Review

2011-01-24T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yippee! This morning I finally got the opportunity to sit down and spin some of my very own 100% Babydoll Southdown roving. All I have to say is "WOW!" I'm thrilled to say that Hidden Valley Woolen Mill did an awesome job with my fleece!!

Is it tacky to rave about your own product? If it is, then I apologize. However, I can't help myself. This wool is absolutely fabulous to spin. Soft, fluffy, easy to draft. I don't think I'll be able to spin anything else from now on. Seriously. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do with all of the various rovings I have stashed in my studio.

The big seller for me on this roving? Being easy to draft. For those of you who aren't spinners, drafting is essentially pulling on the wool with your fingers - in as even a tension as possible -while you spin the wheel. Since I have "gimpy" hands/fingers (due to two hand surgeries), this is very important to me. Wool that is really "sticky" or hard to draft leaves me aching for days.

Here are some photos of what I have spun so far. Please note that the roving is a cream color. The blue and green in the photo is the yarn that I attach the roving to in order to start spinning. Someday I'm going to purchase a Wooleewinder...so that my bobbin will be more evenly spun. As you can see, I tend to forget to move the yarn up and down the hooks as I spin, so it is very uneven. Definitely an advanced spinners nightmare! :)

Knitcents Podcast

2011-01-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a wonderful suprise that I received yesterday!! I received an email from someone inquiring about purchasing roving. In this email, the person told me that she had heard about our wool while listening to Episode 50 of the Knitcents podcast. I was totally floored because that was the first I had heard about being a featured seller!

I will be sending Rachel some wool to use as a giveaway for her listeners, so keep checking out her podcast for that - as well as the many other wonderful things that she features in each episode.

Thank you so much, Rachel! I appreciate your support!!

wool GLORIOUS wool!!!

2011-01-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

FINALLY.

Kellane Farm LLC finally has wool for sale.

100% Babydoll Southdown wool. Soft, bouncy, squishy, glorious wool! Some of you may not find this too exciting. However, since one of the goals of our farm is to create high quality wool for handspinners, we find it very exciting to have our very first batch of wool to sell.

Babydoll Southdown wool is a handspinners dream. It has a lovely texture and is very easy to spin. The yarn that it creates can be used to make socks, hats, mittens, sweaters...any type of knitting project. Some people say that the micron count is similar to cashmere (while this is essentially true, it varies from sheep to sheep). As a result, most people can wear items made from Babydoll yarn next to the skin without any irritation.

We have brown and white roving and are selling it for $3.00 per ounce. There is a limited amount of brown, so if that is what you want then you should get it now before it is all gone!

The wool packaging station

(my dining room table!)

Lovely milk-chocolate heathered with white flecks

Limited amounts of brown!

Chocolate and Vanilla....yummmm!!!

Kip thanks you for buying our lovely creamy white wool!!

This photo really shows the "fluffiness" and "squishyness" of this wool!!

You can purchase this lovely roving via the Paypal button at the top of this blog or by emailing kellanefarm@yahoo.com.

Blizzard

2010-12-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, this post is quite delayed. The blizzard was almost three weeks ago now. I haven't done a blog post in a while because I've spent most of my time knitting. When it is cold, all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch with my dogs and knit. The fact that I have been sick off and on during these past few weeks hasn't helped either. No one wants to stare at a computer screen when they feel nauseous or have a headache - right?

Anyway...below are some photos that I took the morning after the blizzard. It was quite a snowstorm. In some places the drifts were as much as four feet. The farm agent (my husband) wasn't able to get the snow blower through the snow to the animal pens, so feeding time was quite interesting the following morning. I had to slog my way through snow up to my waist...the whole time grumbling under my breath "what good are machines if they can't make it through more than a foot of snow?" I was also thinking that perhaps we should order some snowshoes.

After feeding the animals I got out the shovel and made paths to each of the pens. I say pens (plural) because the big girls and ram are in one pen and the lambs (Kip, Keilah and Kirby) are in another. The babies are on one side of the house and the adults are on the other. Needless to say, I got quite a workout that morning!

Maggie doing some "four-wheeling"

Nera is checking to see if there is hay in the feeder

SNOW!

2010-12-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

This morning we awoke to a fresh blanket of snow. The forecast said we were only going to receive two to three inches, but they were wrong...at least for our neck of the woods. As you can see, we got at least four inches (in some spots it was as much as six inches)!

As if my lambs aren't cute enough, they are especially adorable with their extra woolly coats. They are amazed by all of the white stuff and it is cute to watch them "four-wheeling" through the snow.

Pine bough with snowy caps

Cute little butterball Keilah

Miss Kirby - wondering what I'm doing with the cameraMr. Kip couldn't be distracted from the hay Shelter from the storm!

Babydoll Sheep Calendar - Take Three

2010-11-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving Everyone!

I have one calendar left. I've decided to do something different this time around. The first person to make a comment under this post is the winner.

Rangie is in the holiday spirit.

Doesn't he look cute in his new "Sorry Santa, I Ate the Cookies" t-shirt?

Babydoll Sheep Calendar Contest - Take Two

2010-11-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

Today was the deadline for the two winners to email me their mailing addresses. Since neither of them contacted me, this morning I used the random number generator to come up with two new winners.

These winners are:
JaniceR and Squirrel

CONGRATULATIONS!! Please email your mailing addresses to me (kellanefarm@yahoo.com) so that I can send the calendars to you.

If I don't hear from either of these winners by November 26, then I will do the drawing yet again!

Kip enjoying a nice fall day

When Being a Farmer is Hard

2010-11-13T11:38:00.001-08:00

Sometimes being a farmer is hard. Not just because of physical taxation, but emotional. No matter how hard you work...no matter how hard you try to care for your charges...they sometimes die. My first experience with this was when Maggie's twin died at birth. I second-guessed myself for weeks over that - wondering if I had done something wrong. Only the Lord knows for sure.

Today I lost my beautiful Jasmine. It was so incredibly sudden that I am still in shock. Last night when I fed the animals she was fine. However, this morning when I went out she was standing under the shed with her head and ears down. I knew immediately that something was wrong, so I picked her up and took her to the house - where I made a small pen with lots of bedding and a heat lamp and called the vet. The vet called me back about 30 minutes later and told me that it probably was pneumonia. She said that with the crazy weather changes we've had lately (60 degrees one day and 30 degrees with icy rain the next) that pneumonia is rampant amongst farm animals. Before Kirk could get to the store for the correct antibiotics (all I had on hand was penicillin) - just 30 minutes after the call from the vet - Jazzy passed away.

March 18, 2010 - November 13, 2010

I love you Jasmine...and I'm going to miss your free spirit!

Babydoll Sheep Calendar Contest Results

2010-11-08T07:02:00.001-08:00

This morning I collected all of the comments made by people here on the blog, as well as on Facebook and Ravelry (two other places where I allowed comments to be made in order to be entered in the contest). I then entered everyone in the Random Number Generator. The lucky winners are:

SewHorsey and TeamLewis

Congratulations to the lucky winners! Please contact me at kellanefarm@yahoo.com with your address so that I can mail the calendars to you. If I am not contacted by either of the winners by November 18, then I will re-enter names in the generator to determine a new winner.

I would like to thank everyone who entered. The wonderful comments about my sheep were very much appreciated!

Babydoll Sheep Calendar - FREE!

2010-10-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Kellane Farm had three photos chosen to be in the 2011 NABSSAR Babydoll sheep calendar. These three photos were collaged to make up the photo page for the month of October. To celebrate this honor, we would like to give away two copies of this wonderful calendar - filled with photos of incredibly cute sheep from farms around the United States.

If you would like to be entered in the contest, please leave a comment under any of the posts on this blog. On Monday, November 8th I will put all of the entries into a random number generator to determine the winners. The winners will then be announced and will need to contact me with their mailing address.

For those of you who just cannot wait and would like to order a copy of the calendar now, you can order by clicking on this link: Babydoll Sheep Calendar

Free Spirit

2010-10-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

When I first got the new lambs, all of them would escape when I put them in the front paddock. Being novices to the electric fence/sheep combination (our main sheep pen is composed of wire livestock panels), we made the gaps between the "rails" too large. Therefore, when we put the lambs in that paddock they would either jump between the bottom and middle rail or duck under the lowest one. If their backs or legs touched the rails it didn't even faze them because their wool is a great insulator. However, most of the lambs discovered that if they touched their cute little noses to the wire they would get quite a shock...and have decided to avoid getting close to the fence. That is - everyone except Jasmine (or "Jazzy" as I like to call her). Maybe it's because she is the only lamb without a "K" name. Maybe it's because she hasn't had her cute little nose shocked yet. Or perhaps it is because she is named after the adventurous Disney princess from Aladdin (my daughter Hayley's idea. She is absolutely obsessed with Disney princesses and insisted we name at least one lamb after a princess). Anyway...whatever the reason...Little Miss Jazzy loves to break free of the paddock and go wandering on her own.

Getting ready to make a break for it.

She appears to be grazing, but that is all a ruse.

Where are you going, Jazzy?
Eating the grass on the hill by the driveway...

because everyone knows that grass tastes better!

A disgruntled Jasmine after I chased her back into the paddock.

NABSSAR 2011 Calendar Contest Winner (x3)!!!

2010-10-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I received an email with some very exciting news!

Several months ago I'd submitted some photos to NABSSAR (North American Babydoll Southdown Sheep Association and Registry) for their annual calendar contest. Well, the email I received was a notification that they had chosen not one, but three of my photos to be in their 2011 calendar! WOO HOO!! This is such an honor for Kellane Farm!

Here are the photos that were chosen to be in the calendar:

Master Keegan - the "Poodle Sheep"

2010-10-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

This past summer was extremely wet and hot in Wisconsin. LOTS of rain, humidity, and heat....which meant extra stress on the animals (and people). My little flock of sheep seemed to be doing okay, but then I realized that Keegan appeared less peppy than normal and was losing weight. I figured it was worms, so I wormed everyone with ivermectin. I'd already done this in the spring, but figured with the weather it'd probably be prudent to do it again. However, Keegan didn't really improve and one day his wool started coming out in chunks. After doing some research, I figured that he probably had coccidiosis and treated the entire flock (that is usually the recommended protocol in sheep - treat all of the sheep for parasite issues) with coccidia medication. This seemed to help, but I wanted to be sure that I was doing the right thing so I sent a fecal sample to the vet. Sure enough, I was right!! Keegan's stool was loaded with worms and coccidia. The vet said that this has been a terrible year for parasites - due to the factors I mentioned above. She said to treat the entire flock again for worms, but this time with Valbazen and sulfa.

Here are some photos of Keegan. I think he looks totally ridiculous with part of his wool missing....like someone trimmed him in a poodle cut! I'm thinking that he is on the mend because he is filling out again, showing his old spunky attitude, and getting some downy wool in the "bald" spots.

A Crisp Fall Day

2010-10-04T10:35:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh....fall. Crisp, cool days. No pesky bugs (well, there are still a few gnats and skeeters around, but another freeze or two should do them in). This is the best time of the year. I think the sheep agree. They start becoming friskier as the cooler weather kicks in....and will baa throughout the day in hopes that I will come let them out of their pen.

This past Saturday the sheep spent some time in the front paddock enjoying the yummy grass and weeds. Because they are such fat little things I limit their time in the paddock. And on days when they get grass I cut back on their hay. I wonder if they've figured that out yet....?!? Hmmm. Perhaps that is why they munch like crazy while they are out.

Here are some photos:

Keilah with her mouth full of grass
Kip with his mouth full of grass

Lucy has found a bunch of crunchy leaves to snack on

Five of my Sweet Sheep

(the one looking at the camera is Kip - my little cutie pie!)

FALL!

2010-09-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

YAY! Fall is FINALLY here. I was beginning to think that summer was NEVER going to end!! This summer was a particularly nasty one here in Black River Falls. Lots of heat, humidity and BUGS! Flies, mosquitos, wasps, gnats...you name an annoying flying pest and we had it - in droves!!

The rain was especially good for my garden (not to mention all of the sheep manure I'd dumped on them last fall). My flowers were especially prolific this year, but silly me didn't think to take a picture of them at their peak of beauty! I'm not much of a gardener, so the weeds sometimes were as big as my flowers. Definitely not a garden worthy of a magazine photo shoot!

However, all of the rain was NOT good for my poor sheep. Their coats aren't a beautiful white anymore...and at times they were almost as brown as little Maggie (my only "black" sheep). Fortunately, Babydoll Southdowns are not prone to foot rot. With all of the mud we had this year, I think most breeds of sheep would have succumbed to that nasty infliction. That said, we did have a particularly bad year for worms. I try not to worm my sheep too often (for fear of drug resistance), but I definitely wormed my sheep this summer because of all of the rain. Evidently one time wasn't enough, because my ram lamb - Keegan - started losing condition and "blowing" (losing) his wool. A fecal test showed a high worm count, as well as coccidia. Time for another worming (with Valbazen this time) and sulfa to treat the coccidiosis. Yippee! The last time I was rounding the sheep up for worming my husband was watching. After a few minutes he said "I don't know whether to go get the camera or put on my overalls and help!"

I'll try to post photos soon - even of poor Keegan...who looks like a poodle with a bad haircut!!

Kip Visits the House

2010-07-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago while I was spending time with the lambs, I walked over to Kip and picked him up. He didn't struggle at all, so I decided that he and I should pay a visit to the kids (who were in the house). We "knocked" on the back door and when they opened it, we went inside. During this whole time, Kip did not struggle or kick. He stayed totally limp in my arms. I squatted down on the mat after a while because he was getting heavy (although he is the smallest and lightest of the lambs) and he just sat there on his butt. Hayley was talking to him and scratching his ears and he sat there with a contented look on his face. When she stood up to get the camera he let out a "baa." Actually - every time she stepped back after scratching him he would baa (see photo below).

Kirk thinks Kip looks like a stuffed toy in this photo

Kip giving me a "kiss"

(sorry for the blurry photo,

but I couldn't resist putting it up since it is so cute!)

" Hey, girl - where are you going? Get back here and scratch my ears!!"

New Lamb Update

2010-07-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

As you all know by now, we added five new lambs to the flock in June. Over the past month they have become acclimated to their new surroundings and are slowly beginning to trust their new shepherdess. I have spent a lot of time hanging out in their pen. This, combined with treats (hay chaff), has helped to gain that trust.

About a week after their arrival, I decided to create a separate pen within the main pen for Mr. Keegan - the ram (he can still see and touch noses with the other sheep...they are only separated by wire panels). Keegan was a little too bold for his own good (his name means "little" and "fiery" after all) - coming up and challenging me each time I entered the pen. This is a definite "no-no" because rams should respect people. In order to instill respect of humans in a ram, you have to be firm and not treat it as a pet. They may be cute as a lamb, but as they get older, bigger, and stronger, it is no fun to have to fear for a broken leg each time you enter their pen. By separating Keegan from the rest of the sheep it is easier for me to control the situation. I have been able to teach him to respect me when I enter his pen - and I can handle the other lambs and hand feed them without having to worry about his getting in the way.

In the fall Keegan will be put in a separate pen with the four older ewes. Hopefully they will "get along" so that we will have cute little lambs in the spring! :)

I'll leave you with a few pics of the babies:

Kirby & Keilah

Kip

Tiny Egg

2010-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I did my usual morning egg collection...and had quite a surprise! Sitting in the nest box with the other eggs (all of my girls use the same nest box - never mind the fact that they have 5 to choose from) was this teeny tiny egg! I'd never seen such a thing, although I am sure people who have been farming long enough have seen just about everything imaginable. Here are some photos of the tiny egg:

A comparison shot

See the teeny tiny yolk in the

bottom right corner of the measuring cup?

Two normal sized yolks on the left -

the teeny tiny egg yolk is on the right

We haven't had any more of these miniature wonders. However, I would like to know which chicken keeps pooping in the nest - right in the middle of the eggs.....!

NEW LAMBS!

2010-06-14T16:32:00.001-07:00

This past weekend (June 11-13) I drove to Kansas to pick up FIVE new additions for Kellane Farm. These cutie pies came from two separate farms (as noted below), but thanks to Kay Applebee's generosity, I only had one stop to make...and that was at Diane Spisak's farm in Wellsville, Kansas. Lambs with names written in pink are girls, those with blue are boys (the darker blue is a ram and the lighter blue is a wether - which is a neutered male).

"JASMINE"

Dorcas Fields Farm

"KIRBY "

Dorcas Fields Farm

"KIP"

Dorcas Fields Farm

"KEILAH "

Sheepfields Farm

"KEEGAN "

codon tested RR ram

Sheepfields Farm

I am so thrilled to have the addition of these high quality sheep to my flock. As a result, we will have some wonderful lambs for sale in the coming years!!

Digging for Worms

2010-05-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Due to to the large number of predators in our area (after all, our house is surrounded by woods), we don't let our chickens roam free unless we are outside to keep an eye on them. Some days we don't feel like letting them out because it can be a pain getting them all back in the coop. On those occasions, Hayley and I will spend 30 minutes or so digging up worms for them. I know...we're crazy! My dad says that my grandmother (his mom) would have a hissy fit seeing me baby the chickens in such a manner ("make those chickens dig for their own dinner!"). However, there is just something cathartic about digging in the dirt and pulling up those big juicy worms to give to my little "Golden Plumps" (as I affectionately call the chickie girls). Hayley wears gloves because she doesn't like touching the worms (sigh), but I have no qualms about plucking the wrigglers out of the ground with my bare hands (although some of the really big, fiesty ones kinda make my insides flip flop). And, yes, some worms are fiestier than others...believe it or not! I draw the line at grubs, though. Even though the girls like them, I just cannot bring myself to touch a fat white grub that resembles a maggot. Bleh!

On the particular day that I took these photos, the kids had gone out and were digging for worms for the chickens. Since it was such a nice day, we decided to go ahead and let the girls out to roam around the yard. The kids continued to dig to uncover worms for the chickens...which the girls appreciated, but between that and foraging for themselves among the brush they got full pretty quickly!

Hayley's chicken - Aurora - is the most tame of the four chickens. She will let us pet her and carry her around. She is the one in most of the photos below. The others are pretty much "bird brains" and Kirk's chicken is actually a mean little thing....pecking at my hand viciously whenever she gets the chance. I will have no qualms about putting her in the stew pot should the need arise!

Aurora (Hayley's chicken) helping dig for the juicy tidbits...

...I think she sees one!!

Uno, Esta & Tulip are foraging in the woods
while Aurora looks for worms that Evan unearths

Beautiful Aurora
The End

(I couldn't resist this photo of Aurora's cute, fluffy butt!!)

Another Bittersweet Occasion

2010-05-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, Kellane Farm has been a little bit quieter the past few weeks. Why? Because Rita and Sweet Pea are in a new home. As much as I loved my little donkeys (Rita was my favorite of the two), I came to realize that I really needed the space if I'm going to breed sheep. So, I started asking around...trying to find them a suitable home. I wasn't going to sell them to just anyone - so I prayed and patiently waited for the right opportunity. My prayers were answered. I found someone with two little girls who wanted them for a 4H project. Now my donkey girls are in a home where they are lavished with attention. Yay! Bittersweet for sure, but a "win-win" situation for everyone!

Bathing - Donkey Style

2010-03-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of owning donkeys - or even hanging around them for some time - you are probably unaware of one of their unique habits: the dust bath. Donkeys seem to think that they are not "complete" without a fine layer of dust on their bodies. Indeed, mine will let me brush them for as long as my arm can hold out (have you ever tried to brush two donkeys at once? It's kinda like patting your belly and rubbing your head at the same time). However, as soon as I'm done they promptly go roll in the dirt! Their paddock has several patches that are worn down and swept smooth from where they take their numerous dust baths each day. They do it so often that it wasn't hard for me to catch a "bath" in action. Yesterday I shot these photos of Sweet Pea having a good 'ole time:

Down she goes!

Hey! What are you looking at?!?

Now, doesn't she just look gorgeous?

Ravelympics 2010

2010-03-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have been wondering about the little sidebar photos that I posted over a month ago....the one of the dog wearing the hat and the one of the sheep that says "Team Wrap Around Ewe." I proudly posted these to demonstrate my first time participation in the Ravelympics.

You are probably asking yourself - what is the Ravelympics? Well, first I need to explain that there is an internet community of knitters/crocheters/spinners/fiber enthusiasts that I belong to called "Ravelry." If you are at all interested in any of the above mentioned "hobbies," then I highly recommend that you join Ravelry. This wonderful community has been a huge help to my knitting abilities, as well as allowed me to meet many wonderful people (like my good friend Stas).

Anyway, getting back to the Ravelympics. This event occurs at the same time as the Winter Olympics. Every participant sets a goal (one that is supposed to be challenging) and then joins different teams in order to compete for medals. The projects are various sizes - anywhere from mittens to sweaters. Casting on (starting the project) coincides with the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. In order to qualify for medals, the projects must be completed on or before the final competition of the Olympics.

The project that I chose was a lace shawl. In the past, I had completed only one other lace shawl...and that shawl took me over a month to complete. Therefore, I knew that trying to complete a lace shawl within a two week time period would definitely be a challenge for me. I decided to join "Team Wrap Around Ewe" because it was a group totally focused on shawls (and because my buddy Stas was joining it as well!). The events that I entered were "Short Track Shawls" and "Lace Luge."

Well, I am happy to report that not only did I get my shawl completed, but I completed it within a week (definitely a record for me). Also, my shawl won medals in both of the events that I entered. Woo hoo!

Here are my "medals:"

And here are some photos of the shawl:

Bittersweet

2010-03-03T11:28:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday was a very bittersweet day for me. Bitter because I had to say goodbye to five of my sheepie girls: Cupcake, Dove, Belle, Polly and Laila. Sweet because I sold some sheep! Kellane Farm LLC is a sheep breeding business - and as such I need to become accustomed to selling sheep. However, this particular sale will probably be the hardest because three of the girls were my "foundation" ewes and two were lambs from the first group bred and born here at Kellane Farm.

I am pleased to report that I did find the girls a great new home with Sarah Armstrong of LeSeuer, Minnesota. This is Sarah's very first flock of Babydoll sheep and she is very excited to have them! Congratulations and Thank You, Sarah!!

Here are some final shots of the girls in their little pen as they are waiting to be picked up:

Did she just go in the hay shed?!?
She did! Yay...some hay to eat!!

Nom...Nom...Nom....

Snowy Sheep

2010-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Even during the winter I can't resist spending time with my girls (although it is a very brief visit when it is too chilly). Here are some photos of them that I took recently. Unfortunately, it is impossible to scoop poop in the snow - so please excuse the messy pen.

Cute snowy woolly faced Ella

Dove having a snow snack

You look ridiculous Dove!

This shot kind of gives an idea of how much snow is on the ground

Notice the girls huddled by the gate?

They want me to come let them out - hoping there is grass somewhere else for them to eat.

Sorry girls...gotta wait for SPRING!

My Obsession

2010-01-25T08:06:00.001-08:00

I learned how to knit from a dear friend about five years ago. At first I spent countless hours cranking out garter stitch scarves (for you non-knitting folk - garter stitch is when you just knit...no purl or other fancy stitches are involved). When I got bored with making scarves, I stepped up to making chunky mittens. Then, when I was tired of making mittens, I did something I said I'd NEVER do...I decided to try knitting lace. Once I tried it - and finally figured it out - I was hooked and my passion for knitting turned into an obsession!

My very first lace project was a hat. Not exactly an easy project for a beginner to the technique, but I was in love with the hat pattern and plunged ahead. I spent many hours knitting, ripping out my mistakes, knitting, ripping out my mistakes, etc....until I finally finished the hat. The end product was quite beautiful. However, my gorgeous Rose Red hat would only have fit a giant! That is when I learned the importance of "gauge" (yet another knitting term...which basically means that you need to have the correct size needle and weight of yarn for the project).

Another thing which I have done over the past year (which has helped my knitting skills tremendously) is called "test knitting." This is when a person knits a pattern that a knitwear designer has created, but hasn't yet released to the public. The job of the test knitter is: to knit the project; see whether or not the instructions are clear; find mistakes in the pattern; and give the designer feedback as to whether or not the pattern is enjoyable to knit.

Has all of this talk of my projects piqued your interest in seeing some finished projects? If so, here are some photos (modeled by my beautiful daughter, Hayley):

Aestlight Shawl

Shiver Hat

test knit for Fiddle Knits Designs

Hermione Hat

by Christy Aylesworth

Bandit Hat

test knit for Christa Giles

Catching Up

2010-01-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long hiatus. I really haven't had a whole lot to blog. For the past two months I could have pretty much just typed "Today I bundled up, ran outside to quickly feed/water the animals before dashing back in to homeschool Evan, do housework, and knit by the fire." However, after receiving emails from various people wondering if I'm okay, I figured it's probably time to give an update!

The first thing I want to mention is that my chores have been made a lot easier this winter - thanks to two wonderful items: YakTrax and Marmot Randonnee gloves. For those of you who have farms and/or do a lot of outside chores in the winter, I highly recommend that you purchase both of these things!

YakTrax: Last year I practically killed myself slipping and sliding on the ice and snow. I knew about the YakTrax back then, but didn't bother to order a pair. WHY?!? I have absolutely no idea. However, I can attest that it is incredibly nice to be able to walk around outside without fear of breaking an arm or leg!

Marmot Randonnee Gloves: Perhaps this item won't be as important to some people...and if you follow the link and see the pricetag on these puppies then you might find me a wee bit insane. I must point out, though, that I have hand "issues." Several years ago I had two separate hand surgeries. As a result, I have poor circulation and my hands are cold all of the time. I cannot even begin to estimate the amount of money I have wasted on various gloves/mittens over the years...some of which weren't exactly cheap. I would barely be outside for two minutes and my fingers would be aching from the cold (even with silk liners on underneath)! SO, I went on a mission. After a day's worth of internet research I came across the Marmot Randonnee gloves. The pricetag made me cringe, but I searched until I found a pair that were on sale (for 40 bucks less than the usual cost). I placed my order and impatiently waited for my gloves to arrive in the mail. It was well worth the wait. I've FINALLY found gloves that keep my fingers warm. Yippee!!

I'll leave you with a couple of cool photos that I took in the sheep pen today. The first two are of a sheet of snow/ice that has slid off of the wind break for the sheep. It has been that way for over a month now, so it is pretty substantial!

A shot into the shelter from the back.

Well, that's all for today. I'll try to blog again soon...I promise!! :)

I Love Fall!

2009-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember the name of the Christmas song, but there is a verse that says "it's the most wonderful time of the year." Of course, it's referring to Christmas - which I love. However, in my humble opinion, FALL is the most wonderful time of the year. The leaves are beautiful and their scent wafts through cool, crisp air. Not to mention the fact that the bugs are all gone (something the animals appreciate as well).

Last Saturday, Kirk and I spent the entire afternoon working outside. I did the "Poop Scoopin Boogie" (a song my buddy, Stas, and I created) while Kirk finished up the sheep shelter. At one point, I couldn't resist and had to go hang out with the sheep. The beauty of the leaves and their cute woolly faces looked like a great photo opportunity...so I had to run and get the camera. Here are a few of the many photos that I took:

Six of the nine girls
Sweet Maggie with a leaf stuck to her face

Ella says "Hey, Lucy, whatcha got stuck to your butt?"

"OH...it's a leaf - guess I'll eat it!!

Cute fluffy Polly

Kirk working on the shelter while talking on the phone.

What a multi-tasker!

Lamb #5 - Laila

2009-10-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Laila's name means "dark beauty" or "princess of the night" (and, yes, I think of the Eric Clapton song every time I say her name). I am an Eric Clapton fan, but that isn't why I gave her the name....it is because of the way in which she was born.

Her mother is Belle - which means beautiful. Belle is my ewe with the big mouth. Okay - I'll be nice....she is talkative. Hence her nickname "Baa Baa Belle." So when she delivered Laila in the middle of the night without uttering a peep I was totally shocked. The other ewes began baaing relentlessly when they went into labor, but not Belle. I didn't know that she had her baby until the next morning when Hayley looked out the window and asked "Mom, did Belle have her baby last night?" When I said "no" she then asked "Well, then why are there three black babies out there now?" That got me off the couch quick (which is where I was sleeping during the two week lambing period). I pulled on my boots and ran out there - only to discover that Laila was up, feeding and doing fine. She had obviously been born hours before because she was very steady on her feet and her tummy was full.

I don't know if it is because of the way in which she was born, but Laila has always been the most independent and confident of the lambs. When she was really little she would come boldly up to me and - if I bent over - start sucking on my hair. It was really cute, but lamb spit doesn't make good hair gel!

April 30, 2009

May 7, 2009
June 28, 2009

July 5, 2009

(Laila and Belle)

2009 Spud Crop

2009-10-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

After hearing about my pal Stasia's failed potato crop, I was a wee bit apprehensive when I headed out to dig up my taters yesterday. However, my worries were totally unfounded...as you can see in the following photos:

The motherload
Aren't these blue potatoes gorgeous?
Evan thinks they look like dinosaur eggs.

Check out the size of that white one on top!

This is my first try at growing my own potatoes. I tried two methods: soft sided potato bins (that I ordered here) and an above ground method where you just plop the seed potato down on the ground, water it ONE time thoroughly, and keep mounding on straw as the potato plant grows. Both methods seemed to work equally well. I only found one rotten potato. The rotten potato had somehow worked its way under a stone to grow...so I'm sure that was the reason it didn't do too well.

The next step is to cook these babies up and see how they taste. I'm thinking some nice homemade potato chips...!

Lamb #4 - Paloma

2009-10-13T11:47:00.001-07:00

Well, after a long hiatus during which I was sidetracked by the arrival of the chickens, I've finally decided to get back to the lamb update.

The next lamb on the list is Paloma ("Polly"). Polly was the lamb that I helped to deliver. Dove appeared to be struggling with her labor so I had called the vet, but the vet did not arrive in time. As I was watching Dove, one hoof and a nose appeared...and then it became quite obvious that she couldn't get the lamb any further because the lamb's other leg was too far back. So, I sprung into action - pushing the nose back and pulling the other hoof into place (fortunately it wasn't too far back and was easy for me to reach). I then held on to the lamb's hooves and pulled gently as Dove delivered her the rest of the way. It was quite a feat for Dove because Polly was HUGE! I couldn't believe it when I saw this gigantic black lamb - coming from my smallest ewe!!

Paloma is the Spanish word for "dove." She isn't small or white like a dove, but she sure is beautiful and gentle like one. I just love this lamb...even though she is very timid and for the longest time would act like I'm going to eat her every time I entered the pen. After many months of sneaking up to pet her on the butt while she's eating, Polly has finally decided that I am okay and won't run in terror at the sight of me.

April 23, 2009
April 30, 2009

June 2009

July 2009

The Naming of the Chickens

2009-09-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

I think the Chicken Naming Contest was a lot of fun. We had 26 name suggestions...all of which were quite interesting! In order to make the choosing of the name as fair as possible, I assigned numbers to the names and plugged them into a Random Number Generator. I did this three times - to narrow the "field" down to three names. I then had my son, Evan, give me three numbers between one and 20. I assigned these numbers to the three names and then did the RNG until it hit the number of one of the names.

As a result, Katie K. of Kentucky (wow - say that three times really fast!) is the lucky winner with her entry of "Esta."

Below are photos of the girls that I took this afternoon. They are such fun to watch as they scratch and peck in their run. When I opened the door to try to get a better shot, they kept trying to sneak past me - so I think the day of letting them run free (with my supervision) isn't too far off!

Michelle's chicken - "Esta"
Kirk's chicken - "Uno"Evan's chicken - "Tulip"

Hayley's chicken - "Aurora"

Chicken Naming Contest has ended!

2009-09-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well, the contest has officially ended and we have a winner. Congratulations to Katie T. of my beautiful home state - Kentucky (no, this contest was NOT rigged)!! I will be posting the winning name with a photo of the lucky chicken in the next day or so.

Chicken Naming Contest Ends Friday!

2009-09-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 25 at 8:30 a.m. will be the official ending of the "Chicken Naming Contest." I will assign all of the names a number in the order that they were received and enter those numbers into a random number generator to determine the winner.

SO - hurry, hurry - time's a wastin' for the opportunity to name a chicken (woo hoo)!!

We are really enjoying the chickens. They are such fun to watch as they peck and scratch around in their run. It is also quite endearing how they will cluck and coo back at us when we talk to them! Kirk, Hayley, and Evan have all named their chickens. However, I won't be announcing those names until the winner of the contest is chosen. Sorry to keep ya'll in suspense! :)

Here are some photos:

Our very first eggs - which were scrambled for EvanA double yolker that Kirk got while making muffins

The Girls

2009-09-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it was rather difficult, but I managed to get a photo of the new members of Kellane Farm. Why was it difficult? Because they wouldn't come out of their coop! I managed to get the following shot by opening up the egg door/hatch and sticking my camera (and head) inside. When they are out where we can see them better we will decide who gets which chicken to name. I'm pretty sure, however, that the one on the far left will be Kirk's. She seems to be the most inquisitive...and from what I can tell so far she also seems to be head of the pecking order. Thus, it's only fitting that she be #1 (since that is what he insists on calling his chicken....sigh).

Name a Chicken Contest!

2009-09-03T16:57:00.001-07:00

Our chickens are due to arrive any moment. As I PATIENTLY await their arrival, I came up with a fun idea....to have a contest for my readers to name one of the chickens. Why just one? Because I told the family that since we are getting four chickens, then each of us gets to name one chicken. The lucky winner will get to name MY chicken! :)

I haven't decided what the prize will be yet...other than the winner will have a chicken with their name. However, the first 20 people who participate will get a little gift for entering (but you'll have to send your address to mlanezoo@hotmail.com).

Lamb #3 - Nera

2009-08-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Nera's name means "burning light." If you recall from a previous post, we decided (upon our daughter's suggestion) to research what each of the dam's name meant and give their lambs a different form of that name. Therefore, since Lucy means "light" we needed two names with the same meaning. When Nera was born with such a bright yellow/orange film on her coat (due to amniotic fluid) I knew what her name would be right away!

This little girl is such a sweetheart...and has been from the beginning. She is very laid back and gentle. I have already given each lamb a "pedicure" (trimmed their hooves) and when I did Nera she totally relaxed in my arms - whereas the others struggled. I would have to say that she is tied with her sister as my second favorite, but that is only fair since they are twins. Right?!?

Nera at birth - April 22, 2009

April 30, 2009 - 8 days old

June 29, 2009
(not the most flattering angle, but it's all I have)

July 2009

(I just love her squinchy little face!)

Lamb #2 - Ella

2009-08-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Technically, next on the lambie list should be Maggie's twin sister. Unfortunately, however, we lost her at birth. Therefore, Kellane Farm's #2 lamb status goes to little miss Ella....my second favorite of the lambs. It is quite interesting to me that my preference for the lambs pretty much goes in the order of their birth. That is totally coincidental. My preference for one over the other strictly goes by their personality - not their birth order. Actually, at first I wasn't all that fond of Ella because she was so flighty and ran from me whenever I tried to touch her. I don't know what changed her mind - witnessing that her sister (Nera) didn't run from me, that I occasionally give out animal cookies, or that she decided she loves to have her chin and chest scratched - but now she follows me around the pen with Maggie, begging for scratchies. Whereas Maggie will look up at me and wag her tail when I scratch her, Ella will close her eyes and get the most serene look on her little face. It totally melts my heart!

Ella is a beautiful little lamb with such a sweet face. It is her face that graces the header of this blog. Here are photos of her progress thus far:

Ella (right) at birth...she's a wee bit gross, but very cute!

April 30, 2009 - 8 days old

June 28, 2009 - 2 months old

July 2009 - 3 months old

Chicken update: Even though the coop is built, the run is still under construction. Until Kirk finishes the run, I won't be getting the chickens. I do plan on letting the chickens roam the yard when I'm outside, but when I'm not they will need to have an enclosed run for them to stretch their legs in (and it needs to be predator proof, so that is what is taking so long)!

UPDATE FOR THIS POST: As I started doing the entry for Nera, I realized that I'd made a mistake in Ella's original post. The photo that I'd inserted for the April 30th caption was actually Nera...not Ella! I have deleted that photo and inserted a photo of the correct lamb. :)

Lamb #1 - Maggie

2009-08-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do a series of posts showing how each of my little lambs have grown. It is amazing to me how big they have gotten in just a few months. Also, it is surprising that the moms are still nursing each of the lambs! After talking to other sheep people, I decided to let the moms wean them naturally. I was told that it would be less stressful and since I'm keeping them all anyway it makes the most sense...as long as everyone is happy and healthy.

Anyway, post number one starts with Kellane Farm's Magdalena (Maggie). She is my favorite of the lambs as she is very sweet and precocious. Whenever I clean the pen she follows me around and nibbles on my pants, begging for me to scratch her chest...which can get a wee bit annoying since it slows things down a bit!

Two day old Maggie standing in her mommy's food dish

April 30, 2009 - 11 days old

June 2009 - 2 months old

July 2009 - 3 months old

Even though it is now August, she has not changed any since the last photo was taken. Another thing about Maggie is that she looks just like her daddy...which is somewhat sad for me since I made the horrible decision to have him slaughtered about a month ago. I'm sure this is shocking to some people, but - quite frankly - he was a mean ram and I was afraid he was going to hurt someone (or another animal). The bright side is that he gave me 5 beautiful, sweet little ewes to love!! I won't have any lambs this coming spring, but I'd already decided not to not breed this fall anyway. Hopefully I will be able to find a nice adult ram or ram lamb next year!

Catching Up

2009-07-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know...it has been WAY too long since I last blogged. With the kids out of school I have less computer time, but that isn't the only reason I haven't written anything. I just haven't felt very inspired. However, this morning I was looking at my digital photos and realized that I didn't do much blogging of Kellane Farm's cute little lambs of 2009 (all of whom have already grown quite a bit)!
The following photos were taken back in May....the first time I took ALL of the girls for a walk around the farm. The lambs pretty much stayed by their mom's side, but they did scamper and run around quite a bit. It was a lot of fun watching them!

Notice our two Rat Terriers, Scout & Ranger, on the perimeter - keeping an eye on the sheep? They are excellent herding dogs!

Ella nibbling on a clump of weedsElla, Maggie, Laila and BelleThis isn't the greatest photo, but I love that it catches little Ella in mid-leap

Okay...now I promise to blog again in the near future. I won't wait a month like last time! :)

Mystery Project Revealed

2009-06-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well, those of you who guessed CHICKEN COOP are right! However, I do like Dixie's idea of using it as a place to hide, drink wine and knit!! ;)

The next step is for "The Agent" to build an attached run so that the chickens will be able to go in and out during the day. I plan on letting them roam around our property, but only when I am able to supervise. I've read/heard that they can be rather destructive to flower beds if left unattended!

I'll keep everyone posted as to the impending "Chicken Arrival Date!"

The "Mystery Project"

2009-06-30T09:01:00.001-07:00

As promised in my previous post -

here are photos of the Mystery Project:The base in place

Location - end of donkey paddock near the

old boy sheep pen (which will be dismantled)

Wall number one goes up

Note the "Official Supervisors" - Sweet Pea and Rita

(any time something is happening around the farm they just have to check it out!)

Wall number two is attached

Helper/Gopher Evan is holding the level to assure proper alignment

Attaching one of the front walls

Front wall finished
Evan is standing by to hand out nails/screws as they are needed!

Placing the interior structures

The back wall goes up

Kirk does his first ever shingling job

Ranger checks out the finished project...

making sure that everything was done in proper fashion

**A special thank you to Dan Roskos for taking time

out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to help Kirk.**

So, did you figure it out?

What is the Mystery Project?!?

The "Agent" has been busy!

2009-06-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

My husband, Kirk - a.k.a. the official farm "Agent" - has been busy with outside projects now that the weather is warm. Oh boy, has it been WARM! Too warm, in my humble opinion....85 to 90 degree days with 80 to 90% humidity is not my idea of fun. Anyway, I thought I'd share some photos of his many activities:

Clearing the compost out of the bin (so that I can fill it up again)

Look at all of that "Black Gold!"

And speaking of the compost bin...

I never did share a photo of my pride and joy - which Kirk built last year.

It's awesome, isn't it?

(the board on the front is a piece of a project that I will be sharing with you on a later date)

Installing new lights - the old ones were really tacky looking

Separating the donkey pen in order to move the boy sheep from their old boggy abode
Posts leaning against the hay shed in preparation for the next fencing project:
A new paddock for the sheep!

This little grassy opening was the location of the first donkey paddock. However, we had to take down the pen in order to install a new septic system. Now that it is installed we can fence in a new paddock...albeit a smaller one since the septic mound is MUCH larger than anticipated. In hopes of maintaining the grass, I will rotate the sheep between this and their current pen.

Yep, the agent has been a busy guy...especially considering that he has a full-time job as a family physician!! Wait until you see the most recent project he just completed...

Aliens in My Backyard

2009-06-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

The shearer came two days ago. I wasn't here when he came, so I missed out on all of the fun (ha!). When I returned home, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when I saw my sheep. They look TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!! If I didn't know better, I'd swear that an alien spaceship came and replaced my sheep with some strange lifeforms from another planet. For obvious reasons, all sheep look different in their woolen versus shorn state of being. Some look pretty good when shorn and some look kinda weird. Even though I love my sheep very much, I'd have to say that they fall in the latter category. Need proof? Here ya go:

Dove
Belle

Cupcake
Lucy

...who appears to be saying

"alright, move along now - you've stared at our nekkidness long enough!"

Ysolda's Visit - Part II

2009-06-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ysolda is travelling around America to various yarn shops in order to promote her new book - "Whimsical Little Knits." When she announced that she was coming to our neck of the woods, us Wisconsin knitters could barely contain our excitement! Here are some photos taken when she came to our LYS (local yarn store) - Yellow Dog Knitting - for Thursday Knit Nite.

Dixie Grilley, owner of Yellow Dog Knitting, modeling Vivian

The beautiful Dixie modeling Matilda Jane

Okay ladies...I know Ysolda's designs are gorgeous, but we don't need to fight over them!!

Yes, believe it or not, I actually posed for a picture...!!

Ysolda's Visit - Part I

2009-05-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ysolda was here at Kellane Farm from May 28 until today. We had a wonderful time with her...she is so down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and intelligent. The animals seemed to really like her as well. I didn't get any of my own photos of her with the sheep because I used her camera to take photos when she visited them. Silly me forgot to switch and use my camera as well. However, I did get some photos of her with Kiara and the donkeys. Well, mostly Kiara since she kept pushing the donkeys away in order to get all of the attention. Kiara seemed to have an eye - or shall I say lip - for fine knitting, as she enjoyed nibbling on Ysolda's sweaters. What can I say...she has great taste (no pun intended)!

Nibbling on "Little Birds"

...now on to a taste of "Coraline"

Ysolda with all of the girls - Kiara, Sweet Pea and Rita

Yes, Kiara, she is sweet - but you don't have to give her such a big smooch!!

These will be the last photos of Kiara posted here on the Kellane Farm blog. She left today for Scotland, Connecticut (it is quite ironic that we had a visitor from Scotland when Kiara departed). God bless you Kiara - may you have a wonderful life with your new family!!

My Three Verities

2009-05-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, that sounds like a funky spin-off of the old t.v. show "My Three Sons" - doesn't it? Well it isn't a new television series (sorry you couch potatoes out there) - it's the three Verity hats that I knitted for my nieces last Christmas. I thought it'd be fun to post a photo of the girls wearing their hats in honor of Ysolda's upcoming visit.

Morganne, Addison, Jordyn

Thank you for the photo, Chance and Lori. The girls are beautiful!!

A Special Visitor

2009-05-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, Kellane Farm will be the proud host of a famous (and fabulous) knitting designer....Ysolda Teague!! Remember back in November/December when I was knitting all of those Verity hats for my nieces? A design by Ysolda. Remember my Rose Red hat...that was beautiful, but too big because I failed to swatch? Another gorgeous pattern by Ysolda. There are many more of her patterns that I have purchased (and Stasia gave me Ysolda's new book) - so I'm sure there will be future blog entries when I complete the various projects.

I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to have such a talented young woman in my home. Absolutely amazing....and it's all thanks to my good buddy Stasia. Stasia read on Ysolda's blog (somehow I missed it) that she was coming to the USA and suggested I email her...asking her to come to Wisconsin. I did just that - and was delighted when she contacted me last week saying that she had booked a flight into Madison, WI!

I'll definitely take pictures while she is here...and will blog about all of the wonderful times here and at Yellow Dog Knitting!!

Ranger - The Sheep Dog

2009-05-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly enough, it was my husband who suggested I post the following story. Why is it surprising? Because in the past he had very little respect (actually, make that no respect) for Ranger. He thought Ranger was just a shameless mooch with very little purpose in life....unlike his older brother, Scout, who is a mouser extrordinaire (and extremely intelligent).

So here is the story:

Yesterday I let all of the girl sheep out of their pen for a stroll around the property - good exercise for them and good weedeating for my yard. Everyone was having a great time...even the lambs, who enjoyed bouncing around and tasting the grass/weeds too. When it was time to go back to the pen I called "Come sheep, sheep" and they all followed me back to the pen. As I watched them enter the pen I realized "hey, I'm missing two black lambs!" I turned around and saw Ranger about 10 feet up the path from me. When he heard me say "I'm missing two lambs," he turned and ran around the house - returning quickly with the two lambs in front of him! He herded them all of the way back and into the pen. I was absolutely flabbergasted...he knew what I needed and went into action. What a dog!!

Ella & Nera

2009-05-08T08:13:00.001-07:00

In true twin fashion - these cutie pies are never far from each other. Watching them run around the pen, investigate things, nurse, or sleep together is such a delight. Even though they look a lot alike, they aren't identical. Ella is daintier in appearance and Nera is chunkier in build. Also, Ella is not as outgoing as Nera. Nera will come up to me to nibble on my pants or sniff my boots, but Ella keeps her distance. If I do manage to corner Ella and pick her up she will run off baaing indignantly when I put her down ("Mooooom - did you see what she did to me?!?"). Ella & Nera

(Dontcha just love that little Yoda face?!)

Climbing up on and jumping off of this cement slab is great fun for all of the lambs
Pausing during playtime for a sisterly snuggle
Nera doing her dead lambie impression

(Actually, she's just soaking up the sunshine - which has been rare lately!)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Since Saturday is going to be a busy day and I plan on not being very busy on Mother's Day, I decided to do this post today. In honor of mothers everywhere, I thought it'd be fitting to do a post of the mommies in my backyard!

Lucy and Ella (Nera far right)

Cupcake and Maggie...

Don't you just love how Maggie is lying down to nurse? And I thought MY kids were lazy!!
Polly and Dove (Maggie on the far left)

Hayley holding Laila as Belle carefully supervises the situation

Kellane Farm's "Laila"

2009-04-30T09:37:00.001-07:00

Imagine my surprise when Hayley looks out the back door this morning, walks out, comes back in and says "Mom, Belle had her baby!" I could NOT believe it. The sheep that we call "Baa Baa Belle" - because she is so talkative - is a stealth bomber (dropping the lamb quietly in the night). I'm totally flabbergasted. Fortunately, the little black GIRL (yep, it's all girls for Kellane Farm this year!) was up and nursing and doing well. All I had to do was dip her cord stump in iodine and put her and Belle in the lambing jug. What a nice way to end my first lambing season...which had a rough start.

I tried to find a name that means "quiet beauty" (since Belle means "beauty") for our new little lamb. However, my internet research came up with a name that I think is just as fitting: Laila - which means "dark beauty" or "princess of the night."

Right now I only have one photo of Laila - napping after I put her in the jug. I think that she was worn out from all of the hoo-ha with the other lambs trying to meet and greet her in the big pen. I'll get more photos this afternoon when she is up and about!

Little Miss Maggie

2009-04-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

Our very first lamb, Magdalena ("Maggie") is a week old today. She is quite a little spitfire and keeps her mom - Cupcake - on her toes. Being the oldest, she is the most mobile of the lambs and therefore the most adventuresome at this time. It cracks me up to watch her run over to another lamb and sniff it, then try to sneak up to the mom for a free meal. The ewe doesn't allow this, of course, and will butt her away. As she is getting into trouble around the pen, poor Cupcake loses track of her and will start calling and wandering around...and Maggie doesn't always answer or come back! Ahhhhh - the joys of having a toddler....!!

Here are some photos that I took of her yesterday:

Hmmmm....what an interesting rock...

...I think I'll try to climb on it...

...Wow! What fun!!

That rock was so much fun to climb on...now I think I'll find something else to climb....
Hmmmmm....

Wonder if I can climb up here?

Do you think that Mom will mind?

Oh what fun! I'm Queen of the Cupcake!!

Kellane Farm's "Paloma"

2009-04-25T06:50:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I don't know how sheep farmers do it. After this past week, I now have huge respect for those with large flocks. My four girls sure have kept me hopping this past week and I feel like I did when I had Hayley and Evan. Of course, lambing is all new for me - and it got started on a bad note - so hopefully my shepherding skills will improve with time. I can say that they did improve just a wee bit from Sunday (when Cupcake had her deliveries) to Thursday...the day little "Paloma" was born.

Dove went into labor around 5:40 a.m. on Thursday, April 23. By 6:20 it was apparent that she was struggling, so I called the vet - who said she had to make some calls and then she'd be on her way. It's a 30 minute drive for the vet, so I closely watched Dove as I waited. At around 7:40 a.m. I saw a hoof and a BIG nose trying to make its way into the world....which isn't good (gotta have two hooves). So, I realized I had to help by pushing the nose back a little, feeling for the other hoof (which, thankfully, wasn't too far inside) and pulling the other hoof out even with the first. Then, Dove and I delivered a HUGE black baby girl. At first she was floppy and her tongue was lolling out of her mouth, but with swinging (grabbing her by the hind feet, hanging her with her head down and swinging her back and forth), putting my finger in her mouth repeatedly, and a good vigorous rubbing (by myself with towels and Dove using her tongue) she came around. WHEW!

The end result is beautiful Paloma (her nickname is Polly), which means "dove" in Spanish. Her name - like Maggie's - was suggested by Hayley. I haven't been able to get many pictures of Polly. Hayley says it's the younger child syndrome - where the first borns get a ton of photos and then it tapers off because mom and dad don't have as much time. She is partly right, but it is also because it's really hard to get a good shot of the black lambs in the lambing jugs. Once she is out and about I'll be able to get better shots.

For now, here is what I've got:

Polly is super sweet and has super soft ears and a soft fuzzy chin!

Hayley's Flock of Sheep

2009-04-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

On Good Friday, Baker Sissy made these really adorable (and very tasty) sheep pops:

The Flock
A closeup of one of the sheep

Baker Sissy with her flock

Twin Girls for Lucy!

2009-04-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce the birth of Kellane Farm's two newest additions: Ella and Nera. Keeping with Hayley's tradition of naming the lambs after their mother, our research showed that Lucy means "light." Hence the names Ella ("bright light") and Nera ("burning light").

Lucy's water broke around 7:40 a.m. (just as I walked into the pen for the morning feeding) and by 8:30 she had failed to progress. Therefore, we called our vet, Dr. Kristy Brown. Upon examination, Dr. Brown discovered that both lambs were trying to come out head first (poor Lucy)! Dr. Brown delivered Ella first at 9:35 a.m. and then Nera about five minutes later.

Here are some photos of the girls:

The top two photos were taken shortly after delivery

Moved to the "jug"
Little Ella was having trouble nursing so I helped out a bit

Now she's got the hang of it...and is kneeling on Nera!

Introducing Kellane Farm's "Magdalena"

2009-04-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Our first lamb arrived on Sunday night (April 19th). Cupcake delivered her at 9:45 p.m. in the freezing rain. No difficulties with the delivery of little Magdalena (Maggie). Hayley came up with the name - which means "Cupcake" in Spanish. Unfortunately, however, there were difficulties delivering Maggie's twin sister...whom we lost. It was an exciting evening - filled with much emotion.

Here are photos of our new little girl:

I love how Cupcake is keeping Maggie warm with her head!

Maggie with her doggie coat on to keep warm

Standing in mom's grain dish!

We have decided to keep Maggie here at Kellane Farm. She will not be for sale.

Stuffed Toy?

2009-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post I mentioned that Tigger sits in a funny position that reminds me of a little fat Buddha statue. I've not been able to get a photo of him sitting this way, because every time I approach his pen he hops up (probably hoping that I'll feed him). However, as Lucy gets further along in her pregnancy she has been sitting in this position as well. I've heard from other Babydoll owners that sitting in this position is common for fat or heavy sheep. Evidently it allows them to breathe better. Whatever the reason, it is really cute - and I'm thrilled that Lucy was kind enough to "pose" for me yesterday while I took some photos of her!

I think it looks like Belle (left) is giving a sheepish (ha ha)

grin...like "oh no, you caught one of us in an awkward state!"

Shivaya Naturals Blog Interview

2009-04-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

A week ago, Heather Fontenot of Shivaya Naturals (a wonderful online store with 100% naturally dyed yarn and fiber) contacted me about doing an interview for her blog. I was honored to be a part of her "Artists at Work" series. You can read the interview here.

Thanks a bunch, Heather!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Easter day! The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. Our family spent the whole day together...eating pumpkin soda bread (courtesy of Baker Sissy), brushing animals, getting a load of hay, etc. I just love days spent with my family and animals!

Here are some photos that Hayley took of me with "the girls" yesterday:

Penguins!

2009-04-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Baker Sissy has been back at it again! This time she made us a gaggle, flock - ???? - well, whatever it is you call a group of penguins. Aren't they cute?!?

I Love Mail!

2009-04-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was an awesome mail day for me...

I received my second shipment from the Taste of Shivaya Club ...and a package of stuff from my good buddy Stasia

(thank you sweetie!)
- a bag for when I start knitting socks, stitch holders, and Ysolda's new book!!

Tigger - the amazing dressage sheep

2009-04-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a photo to go with this post, but - alas - I do not. Several times in the past week, Tigger has amazed me with his ability to get his chubby little body off of the ground in an amazing capriole. People in the sheep world call this "popcorning" (envision the popcorn as it pops...), but in the horse world this move is called the "Capriole." Perhaps someday I'll be able to get a shot of Tig's amazing move for all to see! :)

I CAN do it, yes I can...

2009-03-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

With help from some new panels that I bought from Premier, I was able to vaccinate and worm the girl sheep all by myself! I did it all by myself last time, but it was quite a fiasco - what with me trying to sneak up on them and stab them with the needle and/or jab the wormer in their mouths (I didn't have panels at the time). This time I took two panels and hooked them together on a corner inside the girls' pen. Then I took some grain and enticed them into the corner...swinging the panels shut after they entered. I was hoping to only get one sheep at a time, but they are SUCH pigs when it comes to grain that they all mobbed me in the corner - pushing and shoving. With much pushing and shoving of my own, I was able to get two of the girls cornered at a time. It didn't leave much room to move inside the mini-pen, but that probably is good because they couldn't get away from the needle/drench gun. My experience with sheep is pretty limited, so most of my information on vaccinating, worming, etc. comes from books or the internet (or asking other sheep owners). The CDT shot I was giving needed to be given subcutaneously (underneath the skin). I came across an excellent website instructing how to give vaccinations in sheep. They even have photos demonstrating how a person needs pull up a "tent" of skin on the sheep's neck and place the needle parallel to the muscle (not IN the muscle). Well, the person who did the website obviously doesn't have a squatty, chubby little Babydoll to vaccinate! Trying to pull up a "tent" of skin on their necks is virtually impossible. On my first two attempts, I injected the contents of the syringe - only to feel wetness on my hand. Totally missed the mark and only hit wool. However, I did manage to figure it out and get all of the girls done....and with very minimal stress, which was very important since they are pregnant. Hopefully my efforts will pay off with healthy little lambs!!

My New Herd

2009-03-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Okay - for those family members who are thinking "Oh my, what has she done now?!?" - don't panic. This isn't your typical herd of horses...it is a herd of horsey cupcakes that Hayley created for her best friend's birthday party. She got the idea from a book called "Hello, Cupcake!" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Here are some pics of her absolutely adorable (and delicious) creations:

Baker Sissy (I cannot get the photo to turn upright!)

She made this one to look like Kiara

The Herd

I'd say she has a lucky friend...don't you?!?

Ewes not Fat...Ewes Fluffy!

2009-03-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Actually - they are just very pregnant.

It was a nice warm day (around 65 degrees) - so I decided to take the girls for a walk. I figured they would like to stretch their legs and get some exercise. They mostly just followed me around with quizzical looks on their faces - wondering why there weren't any tasty weeds to eat.

There is nothing good out here to eat...we want some grain!

OOOH! She's got the grain - head for the pen everyone!!

Spring Approacheth

2009-03-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Many people look forward to spring - the warmer days, the sunshine, birds singing, etc. I do too, but not to the extent of most people. You see, I am a winter person. I live for the cold, cloudy, snowy days. Don't get me wrong...I do like spring. Especially now that I have little lambs to look forward to. However, when I think of spring, I can't help but think that summer is just around the corner - and I HATE summer! Heat, bugs, sweat...ick!!

Spring is fun though. Despite all of the poop scooping that I have to do; the mud that gets tracked into the house by humans and - mostly - dogs; the longer days; the loss of my bulky soft flannel shirts.... Anyway - I do like to plant things around the yard (landscaping seems to be a never-ending process around here - especially since there was nothing when we moved in except piles of river rock), as well as spend more time with the animals...so I guess spring is good for something! Kirk and I have also been talking about doing more container gardening this spring. Guess I need to crack open the Seeds of Change catalog and get to planning!

The vet was out last Thursday to give the equines their spring shots - and to do a Coggins on Kiara since she is for sale. Dr. Brown has been caring for Kiara since I first got her as a weanling and every time she comes out she is even more impressed by the stunningly gorgeous Kiara. The only time Dr. Brown has had to see Kiara is for routine shots and wolf teeth removal - pretty amazing for a four year old horse!

Dr. Brown showed me how to draw blood on Tigger so that I can have him Codon tested for Scrapie. As of right now, this testing is not required by the goverment. However, it is possible that in the future it will be required - and all animals that do not meet the requirements will need to be slaughtered. As a breeder, I need to be responsible and make sure that my ram is genetically sound and will not produce Scrapies-prone lambs. I need to have this testing done as soon as possible so that I can know whether or not my current batch of lambs are okay. If Tigger does not have the right genetic makeup, then I will have to test each lamb as it is born - which will be a huge pain. Therefore, I'm praying for good test results from Tig!

That's all for now. Gotta finish my coffee and head off to do some poo duty. Manure Movers of America - unite!

Quotes

2009-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

I've decided to do a Quote of the Month since it seems that my blog is getting bogged down with quotes. I certainly don't want to put any of my followers to sleep! ;-)

I have an idea for another Babydoll Sheep 101 topic, but I don't have the time right now to post it. I'll try to do so in the next day or so. Until then, I'll share a photo of a knitting project I just finished. It is a cowl that I did for a knitting club that I belong to (it is drying - or blocking - on a bowl in which Kirk collects wine corks).

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

I know...I haven't posted much lately. Guess I'm in a slump for things to write about.

We've had touches of warmer weather off and on and when we do I get outside and do some poop scooping - or shall I say poop slinging. There is still too much ice and snow out there for me to get out the wheelbarrow. So, my scooping involves scraping it off the paddock and slinging it over or scooting it under the fence (so at least they aren't standing on as much of the gunk). Honestly, you would not believe how much poo is out there. Layers upon LAYERS of poo. It's like a cake! A really gross cake with levels of ice (not icing) in between. Kirk and I have been talking about how in the spring we'll probably need to rent a Dingo or something like it to scrape out the pens. Ugh. We just don't think I'll be able to do it all by hand.

I did have to separate out the boys from the girls a couple of weeks ago. Tigger was being a bully and chasing around the girls - butting them with his head. They had been getting along peacefully, but I guess he was beginning to get frustrated because they were no longer accepting his romantic advances. I'm hoping that means that the girls are all pregnant and we will start having baby lambies bouncing around in April.

Tigger can be quite a turkey at times, but he really does crack me up. The way he wags his tail when I scratch him behind the ears just makes me smile. He also will sit on his butt in a fashion that makes me think of a fat Buddha statue. I love to see him sitting like that and have tried many times to get a photo of him in that position (perhaps someday I'll be successful!). This morning he really made me chuckle - he had his head buried in the hay manger and I walked by and said "Hey Tig - how's it going Tig man?" He totally ignored me, so I said "TIG! What's up Tig?!?" He lifted his head and gave this deep, rumbling, mouthful-of-hay, "BAAAA!!" Totally surprised me...I did not expect him to answer - just lift his head and look at me! Silly boy!! :)

I hope all of you are having a great V-Day. My day certainly is going well. Kirk woke me up with a large box of Godiva truffles (all of my favorites!!) and Hayley gave me the "Celtic Woman: A New Journey" cd (which I've already listened to twice).

I'll leave you with a romantic photo in honor of Valentine's Day....Tigger "kissing" Cupcake.

Quote of the Week

2009-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.

- Helen Keller

Quote of the Week

2009-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week's quote really spoke to me - especially with regards to all of the wonderful friends that I have met through the internet!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one.

- C. S. Lewis

A Tiny Taste of Spring

2009-01-31T20:02:00.001-08:00

Today it got up to a whopping 40 degrees here in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Pretty amazing, seeing as they are having ice storms down in Kentucky!

I took advantage of the warmer weather and did some much needed poop scooping in the sheep pen and equine paddock. The sheep pen is actually quite easy to clean. I use a fine-tined rake and a long-handled bucket to scoop up the hay and poops. However, the donkey and horse paddock is an entirely different matter. Due to the warmer weather, some of the manure raked up pretty easily. However, there are quite a few piles that were solidly cemented to the ground. Of course, I could wait until it warms up even more in order to scoop those out...but then I'll have an icky, sloppy, mucky mess. Instead, I chose to take a heavy duty three-tined fork and chip those patties off of the ground. Typically it only took one or two good stabs with the fork to loosen the "poopsicle" - then once it was free I'd pick it up (with my heavy duty farm mittens) and fling it over the fence towards the woods. The whole time I was thinking to myself "I wonder if I could convince Evan (my 10 year old son) that flinging frozen poop is going to become an Olympic sport?" Needless to say, my shoulders and arms got quite a workout and I'm going to need to take another dose of ibuprofen before bed.

AHHH...the joys of warmer weather....!

A Rough Night

2009-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

After a rough night last night, I am truly counting my blessings this morning. You see, we came dangerously close to losing my little shadow - Ranger. Yesterday afternoon I was taking a shower and Scout (Ranger's older brother) came into the bathroom and gave me "the stare." This stare tells me when he (Scout) needs something - or if someone (usually Ranger) is in trouble. I got out of the shower and went to investigate...and sure enough, found Ranger licking the wrapper of a Lindt Dark Chili Chocolate bar. I won't go into how he got the chocolate, but lets just say that perhaps the teenage rebellion in our household will cease once said teenager realizes that we tell her to do (or not do) things for a reason...not just to be mean.

I called the vet to see what to do, but the vet said that Ranger should be okay...even though he had consumed 3 oz! This surprised me, because everything I read on the internet said that 3 oz of dark chocolate was a lethal dose for a dog of Ranger's size. I'm glad the vet was right. However, Ranger certainly had a rough night (as well as myself - who stayed up with him). At first the poor little guy just couldn't get comfortable - trembling and wobbly. Then he started getting really hyper and couldn't sit still...no matter how hard I tried to soothe him. He finally started appearing somewhat normal around 4 a.m. and I put him in his crate so that he could settle down and rest.

Now I am happy to report that he appears to be back to his usual activities. He followed me on my rounds to feed the animals this morning, mooched as I ate breakfast, and is now taking a nap on the couch...all part of a typical Rangie morning! :)

Rangie and his baby

Quote of the Week

2009-01-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

I guess that subconsciously I must be thinking about our new president, because my quote this week is from yet another of our former presidents:

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.

- Abraham Lincoln

Rita's Snowy Hat

2009-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Kellane Farm Wordle

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

My good friend Stasia recently came across this fun website and created a similar fun creation for her blog. Thanks for the inspiration, Stas!

Quote of the Week

2009-01-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

With the upcoming Presidential inauguration, I thought it would only be too fitting to have a quote from the United States' first president this week...a quote with which I can definitely agree!

"I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. "

- George Washington

Quote of the Week

2009-01-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

"We are always too busy for our children; we never give them the time or interest they deserve. We lavish gifts upon them; but the most precious gift, our personal association, which means so much to them, we give grudgingly."

- Mark Twain
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

2009-01-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

The high here today is supposed to be 0 degrees. Yes, you read that right - ZERO! The horse, donkeys, and sheep don't seem to mind it too much. However, the dogs run out, do their "business" as quickly as possible, then run back to the house. I'm with the dogs...I don't dawdle when it comes to feeding the outside critters. I sort out their food, dump it in, give a quick pat or two, and then high-tail it back inside.

I'm really worried that I might run out of hay before spring, as we've had to increase the rations in order to keep the animals warm. For those of you who don't know how it works: hay=heat. Not grain. Beet pulp helps - so I've added it to their diet. They only eat it if it's mixed with grain, though. At least my animals won't. Guess they are just spoiled!

Stay warm everyone!!