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The blackface sheep move to summer quarters

31 May
The blackface sheep move to summer quarters

We have a farm flock of purebred Hampshire sheep.  We lamb them out early (March) at Powder Flat, and raise our replacement bucks for the commercial herd from these ewes.  They also produce replacement ewe lambs and some future lamb chops.

In late spring, usually mid-May, we truck them to the Bull Pasture, near the Home Ranch.  They hang out there for a couple of weeks, then trail about 15 miles up to the Johnson Ranch, a private inholding in the Routt National Forest.  There they spend the summer, growing and fending off bears and coyotes.

A few days ago ( and a couple of weeks earlier than usual), Meghan, Siobhan and granddaughter-of-the-heart Bahnay trailed them on up to their summer pasture.  They (sheep, horses, dogs and ladies) really did walk all the way, but I caught them on their mid-day break.

Meghan, Siobhan and Bahnay hard at work

Hampshire lambs taking a break

Guard dog, likewise

Fox in Three Forks Ranch meadow

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 31, 2012 in Animals, Family, Nature and Wildlife, Sheep

 

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One response to “The blackface sheep move to summer quarters

  1. Tyler Cox

    October 11, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    I am a yearling operator and animal science instructor in Washington State. I was scrounging some pictures from the web of shearing sheep and market classes of lambs/sheep. The pictures of your family and operation are great pictures and fun to look at too. You website does an excellent job of telling your story. Thank you.

     

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