Sorting sheep....

Today was a big day for us  -- the day we reap our harvest.

All the ewes and lambs were brought into the sheep corrals and we sorted off the lambs from the ewes.  

We also sorted out the best of the ewe lambs which will become replacement ewes.  Each year we must sort off the cull ewes that are no longer productive or have various health issues that will not allow them to stay in the herd.  Sometimes a ewe gets so old that her teeth get bad enough that she can no longer graze and won't be healthy enough to produce a lamb, or she will become lame and cannot travel with the herd.  Other ewes have spoiled udders that won't allow them to raise their lambs.  All of these are culled and the ewes sold at the sale barn.  

The rest of the ewes that make the cut will remain in the herd and raise lambs this coming spring.  The replacement ewe lambs will go into the herd to "replace" the culled ewes and become producing females for us. Some of our yearling ewes will raise a lamb in the spring, but some won't be quite mature enough to raise a lamb, but will remain in the herd and produce the following year.

All the other lambs will be sold.  Tomorrow is Pay Day for the kids (since they own the sheep) and becomes the RKCF, the ranch kids college fund.  Our oldest son doesn't need a college fund anymore, but since he has a family, he has his own children to spend money on.

 

  There were two cull lambs found in the herd today -- one was lame and one had a neck problem.  Since injured lambs get docked severely at the sale barn, we will take them straight to the butcher where they will become lamb chops and other lamb delicacies for our family table.

Hubby counts the ewes out the gate.

 Looky what I saw on the fence.

  Lady Bug.

 And this handsome garden spider (black & yellow argiope) caught my eye on the ground near the walk-through gate.  Isn't he fancy?

Thanks for stopping by today!