Denzel and Forrest

Lilly and her twins are ready to come out of the jug. Denzel and Forrest are growing nicely and already playing leap frog over mama. Lilly has one udder working and I have been giving the boys a bottle each in the morning and night to ease the pressure. I would do anything for this sheep. She is the only one who sees me and walks over from anywhere to say hello. She loves me, even with the worming and hoof trimming and shearing...she still loves me. We touch noses a couple of times a day. Lilly is the daughter of Blue Tag and Duncan, making her 7/8ths Bluefaced Leicester. Her fleece is soooo soft and a lovely taupe color. I will band her boys so they will be neutered and give me beautiful Lilly-type fleece forever and ever.
Many shepherds are coating their sheep now to keep VM (vegetable matter like hay, burdock, briars, etc.) out of the fleeces - definitely a good idea but very labor intensive. The coats have to be fitted properly or they can chafe the sheep, or come off. They must be changed as the fleece grows to allow more room for the wool. Remember, everything you do to a sheep requires people to catch and hold the animal while someone does the work. I am lucky to have Matt, but he is beginning to wince every time I ask him to catch this one or that one. My sheep are big and some are 200 pounders...AND they have four legs and we have two! I know a few older, and I mean older, women who shepherd alone. I don't know how they do it! They are awe inspiring to me!