While many small things have happened on the farm over the last few months, no one thing has seemed worthy of a complete entry. So here's a little summary of what's going on at Rainbow Apple Farm!

    • Sootie had twin lambs on Oct. 19. Unfortunately, she stopped nursing the ewe lamb a few weeks later, and our efforts to save the lamb failed. The ram lamb, Sherlock, is fat and happy. He is almost ready to wean.

    • We put together our breeding group on November 11. Wind River Allard is our lucky flock sire this year. Santiam Valley Duke and Rainbow Apple Newton are on breeding loans to other farms for the season.

    • For the last week or so, we've had an unusual amount of snow around here. Last I measured a few hours ago, we had a total of 17" on the ground. The adult sheep are keeping a trail going between the shed and the hay feeder, but poor Sherlock is more or less stuck inside the shed; the snow's just too deep for him to navigate. Nine inches down, there's a layer of solid ice about an inch thick. This snow-and-ice sandwich makes it particularly difficult to push the snow out of the way with a tractor, but we're sort of managing.

    • While it's way too early to count our Spring lambs, we have decided to try and put together a "starter flock" next summer consisting of Crystal, Gretta, and one Spring ram lamb (or Sherlock, if desired). This starter flock will be available for the bargain price of $250, and should be ready to go as soon as Crystal and Gretta have weaned their lambs next Spring.  

    • Santiam Valley Duke will also be for sale ($100), and we can probably make a breeding group with him and a couple of 2009 Ewe Lambs. Duke is a rare scurred Soay and also has true "tan" or light-phase coloring. He's got a nice even temper and would make a great addition to any flock!

 

Well, that's about it, folks! Happy Breeding Season!