Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Taking progress where I can get it

This morning's sunrise.

Poor Annabelle is still the "odd ewe out" in the ewe flock. I've been leaving them out in the wooded lot 24/7 both so Annabelle learns who her new flock is and has more room to stay out of their way. Plus, I'm just a tad worried about whether or not I could catch her again if she didn't follow the rest into the fold at night! She does seem to respond to my voice; it could be my imagination but I think she looks hopefully to me to "rescue" her from the hostile crowd, even though she won't let me near her.

Bunker, on the other hand, is settling in much faster, both in the ram lamb group and with me. He will let me get close enough for a tentative touch when he's eating with Blake and Byz at the feeder, and comes down to the corner of the lot nearest the Ram-ada Inn when I'm feeding Browning and Barish, where he's learned I will give him his own handful of hay. I could catch him with a quick move, but that would set back the trust he's developing in me. So for now, you'll have to appreciate his fleece from these photos:
If you click to biggify, you can see the tiny crimp and the small, feathered tips of his locks; it is soft, dense and really yummy! He will get a coat after breeding season, too.

That's it for now from . . .

5 comments:

Susan said...

What beautiful fleece! I feel for Annabelle, as Bartlett is still taking a beating every time I try to put them all together. Latest tactic is to put Hoosier Llama and Bartlett in one area and girls in the other. That way there's a nice safe fence between them. It's a long process, isn't it?

susan said...

I love the small uniform locks that stay a lock without widening or getting tangled down into the fleece. I wish we would get a good rain down here to give my lambs fleeces a good wash and make the tips lock up and sparkle.

Laura said...

I have the same problem with the new alpaca - there have been some loud goings on while they try to settle their pecking order. Mr. Stinky was truly stinky the other day after such a rumble.

I can get the rest of them into the old pig pen (to keep the horses out of the 'paca goodies), but Stinky won't go in there - too scary. He also protects his food from me, who gives it to him - we have a ways to go...

Potosi Sheep Farm said...

I love the word bigify. I'll have to remember that. That fleece looks like spinning to me. MMMM.

Leigh said...

Click to biggify and yummy, yummy, yummy! What fun to have a lovely white fleece to dye. Interesting about the adjustments for the sheep. I always thought they'd just recognize another of their kind and it would all be okay. My goats have taught me otherwise!