So lately I've kinda been sheep collecting.

I know... Only Blaah.

Matt's been going crazy trying to figure out what to get me for xmas, and i asked for a sheep.

Matt: A sheep? Weirdest gift ever. EVER.
Blah: I know, but they'll be so delicious.

The first two I got are about four-five months old. So thyere pretty close to Abe's age. They get along pretty well, to the point where they even play together. It's fun to watch. The best part is, Abe cries less when I'm gone now. So mebbe sheep are the easiest way to get him weaned.

Anywho, these two are a Barbados sheep cross. I'm assuming the other half of them is Pygmy goat... just because they are stinking midgets. I originally bought these two because they were a cheap source of meat. But dad has recently named them Jack & jill so i dont think thats going to happen. Think he would know better than to name his food.

Today i went out and bought to big beautiful fullbred Barbados ewes. I have a thing for the barbados breed if you can't tell. I just think they're pretty. They are amazing. Everything I'd want in them, in terms of physical characterisitcs, when starting a herd.

In order to get them home, I traded my buddy jacob half a cord of wood for the use of his livestock cage. Well jacobs truck is pretty much a low rider. Its just short. Its fairly easy to get goats and sheep in the giant cage that sits in the back of the vehicle. Well I borrowed my dads trucks for this occasion, and theres like four feet of space between the tailgate and the ground. So getting the sheep in there was fun for the guy who was selling them to me.

Getting them out once I got them home was another story.

The first ewe was a yearling and preggo with her first baby, so she acted like all new mothers... SCARED FOR HER FREAKING LIFE IN THE FACE OF A STRANGER TRYING TO HAUL HER OUT OF A GIANT TRUCK. To make it easier and less stressful, I climbed in the cage and took hold of her, slowly scooting her towards the door only when she relaxed. Matt was waiting at the door to carry her to the pen.

The second ewe was an older, more experienced sheep. The owner said she usually has twins. She's preggo now and looks like she could be carrying a dog or two in her gut. Anyway, I got back in the cage and looked over at her. She stomped her foot at me and snorted.

Blah: Great.
Matt: What?
Blah: This sheep's not gonna have any of this.
Matt: So what do we do?
Blah: Gimme that halter.

I reached out to pat the old girls back and she went charging forward into the corner of the cage. With her head and butt in the corners, I pushed my weight up against her side, gently pinning her to the wall. I threw the halter on and got out of the cage. Matt stood gaurd at the door as I proceeded to drag her out. When she got to the tail gate Matt picked her up, just as he had with the first sheep. This ewe weighs twice as much as the yearling and she knows it. She started to flail and squirm in matts arms.Matts not much of a country boy, so he kinda started to panick. I just told him to put her down and we'd walk the rest of the way.

While we were pushing/dragging the big girl toward the sheep pen, she jumped up and fell back down hard on the side of our tin boat. Right on her stomach. So i hope everythings ok in there. Poor baby things.

Surprisingly, Abe loves all the sheep in the pen with him. he trots up happily to greet them now that he's used to sharing his stuff. You guys should come out and see him.


So that was my thanksgiving day. Lame I know. But I had more fun with the sheep than I would a turkey.