Busy, Busy

Things have been so busy around here lately but it kind of feels like it's slowing down. It has been getting really cold here. Before we know it we will have snow on the ground. I am getting a little excited for the snow because then we can go SNOWMOBILING!!

Well enough of the snow talk I will tell you what has been going on here. The sheep are getting VERY woolie. On Monday we will be putting two of our six girls in with our ram. I hope we will end up with a few lambs next spring!

On November 20 we are having a craft show, so we are working on some crafts for that. I am excited, it will be fun to make some things and go show them off and hopefully sell a few things.

Recently I lost my sheep-cat Matilda (Tilly) and two of her babies. I still have two of her four babies, Coraline and Katrina. I got those names from Tim Burton movies ( The greatest movies in the world).

I forgot to say that the wedding was a success!! It was so beautiful.

Getting Ready for a Wedding!

We have been pretty busy around here lately, getting ready for a wedding and all. My sister and her high school sweetheart's wedding. I can't wait! My dearest Mother and wonderful Sis have been making the gardens pretty!! My darling Father and soon-to-be brother-in-law have been making and painting shutters. I on the other hand have been working on painting my duck house and chicken coop.

Just this week my black east indie duck (Mimzey) layed her first egg. I was really excited. Most people say that it takes a year until they lay their first egg, but so far they have been wrong. All of my female pekins started laying their eggs before they were a year.

The rest of the animals are doing great! Della, Yvonne, and Max have settled in just fine. I can't believe how big Max has gotten. I will post some pictures of all the animals and all the projects we've been working on soon.

Not One, Not Two, But Three

Yesterday we went and picked up my ram lamb. When we got there the farmer showed us Max and then we went to see the weaned babies, then to the ewes that still had their babies. She told us that she had to get rid of two ewes and if we new anyone that would want them. When she said that I was thinking in my head " I hope Mom and Dad let me get one." After getting Max into the truck we decided we were just going to take one of the two ewes. Not too long after getting the one ewe into the truck the farmer said we could load up the other ewe and my Dad said "lets do it'. So after just coming to get one we ended up bring home three.

Maxwell

Maxwell and Sully

Yvonne



Della

Update

On Sunday I cleaned out my chicken coop. It took me a few hours to get it all cleaned. It was all worth it because it looks so much better now. Remember the grain feeder my Dad took out of the sheep barn this spring...well we put that in the chicken coop to use as new nesting boxes.

Next Wednesday I will be a proud new owner of a CVM ram lamb. I am so excited!! I have been thinking about all the things that have to get done before he comes. We have the spot where Sully and Max will be staying almost done. We still have to put up a few boards so it's extra sturdy so he won't be able to ram his way through to try and get to the girls, or the hay for that matter.

The Girls and Sully have been able to go out to the BIG pasture behind their barn. At first they didn't like going out there unless one of us walked out there with them but now they will walk out there by themselves. I went out to get some pictures of them in the big field. I love seeing the grass blow in the wind like waves at the beach. There was this one deer that was very curious. It kept getting closer and closer.

Heres Mimzy!!

Here are some pictures of mimzey, the newest addition to our farm.

Happy Birthday Sully!!

Monday was Sully's birthday. He is a yearling now. Sully is my little boy. He loves it when I come out and give him attention.

Update

Its a rainy day today, so I thought I would post some things that have been going on here at the farm. Where to start...well on Monday I worked on getting my barn cleaned up. We are working on getting it ready for when our ram lamb comes. We are going on Saturday to see and pick out a ram lamb. I am REALLY excited for that.

Last week I lost one of my mallard drakes. We think it might have been a hawk that got him. So after several days of waiting to see if he came back, we decided to get Montgomery a girlfriend. We got a Black East Indie duck from one of our friends (Thanks Amy). We named her Mimzey. Montgomery is not quite sure how to act around a girl. I will post some pictures of Mimzey in a few days.

Happy Birthday Opal Ann!!!

Today is Opal Ann's Birthday!! She's a year!! I think Opal new it was her Birthday! When I went out to feed them this morning she was bouncing all around or she was just happy to see me earlier then usual!!

Happy Birthday Ruby!!!

It's Ruby's birthday today!! She is a yearling!! With all of her wool she reminded me of a teddy bear! Now she is tiny without all that wool but she is still my teddy bear.

Shearing Day

Yesterday the shearer came. It was amazing how fast he worked. He was here for less then a half hour. I can't belive how tiny they look now.
Don't they look Pretty!!!

Sully's wool weighs 7.24lbs.

Opal's weighs 8.13lbs.

Ruby's weighs a whopping 10.48lbs.

Louisa's weighs 8.35lbs.

I didn't get a picture of Eleanor but her wool weighs 4.59lbs.

Rednesday!!

Hi, I am Caitie from Dandelion Acre. Here are a few of my chickens ( Rhode Island Reds and Araucana) hanging out with me and getting a snack. They are eating out of my vintage, red handled enamelware scoop.

I thought I would take some pictures of the sheep all woolly before they get sheared.
The Three Musketeers

I'm to sexy for my wool

Hahahahahahahahahaha...Louisa cracks me up!

Not Much to Report

Nothing to report about the farm today. In a week the shearer will be coming to give the "baas" a hair cut. I can't wait and I'm sure they can't either. With this warmer weather they have been sleeping outside. One morning Arie said she saw frost on them. I did get to go on a date with my dad, to one of my favorite places...the local feed mill. I took this picture a few years ago. It is one of my favorite pictures. I wish it was that green.

Clean Barn

Yesterday, my dad and I cleaned out the sheep barn. At first I thought I would be able to take the pitchfork and clean it out in a couple of hours...I thought wrong. After an hour our so I asked my dad if he could take the grain feeder out because it was hard to get the hay from under it. After we got the grain feeder out my dad went and borrowed our neighbors little tractor. That was a BIG help. Sully was having fun playing on the straw pile.


" I am King of the Moutain"

The sheep are making new friends. In the picture above the cow was actually licking sullivan.

The girls are saying Hi to three of the "teenager" cows.

Happy Birthday Eleanor!!!

Its Eleanor's birthday today. She is a yearling now. The bottom picture is of me carrying her to the van ( she was only 8 weeks old). She is my little ball of fuzz.

Happy Birthday Louisa!!!

Today is Louisa's Birthday. She is a yearling now. The bottom picture was taken the day we picked her up (she was only 8 weeks old). As you can see Louisa has always been a ham.

Peace in the Barnyard

On Thursday, I made my first money as a farmer by selling three of my male pekin ducks. They were three of six I hatched myself last summer. Jemima seems very happy now. She gets to eat grass, play in her pool and relax without the boys chasing her. Now we just have Drake, Jemima, Pit, Paddle, and Pat Puddle Duck.

Hi There!

Hi everyone! I'm Caitlin of Dandelion Acre. My whole life I have lived on a cattle farm. I have always loved animals. We've had dogs, cats, chickens, and a bottle fed calf we raised to a cow. After a few years of persuading my parents, they let me add a small flock of sheep and a few ducks to the farm. Right now i have two Border Leicester ewes and three Romdale/CVM sheep (one wether and two ewes). I am hoping that I can buy a CVM ram lamb this year. I will be sharing lots of pictures and all the adventures the farm brings.