sheep on Loco
Modesto
guard dog in November
Tag Archives: Modesto
“Preg Testing” the bucks
Dr. Cleon Kimberling at the microscope
Each fall, before the bucks join the ewes, we ask Optimal LIvestock Services to fertility check them. Renowned, and sort of retired Dr. Cleon Kimberling and his partner Geri Parsons bring their traveling lab to ranches around the West. Dr. Kimberling started this service when he was the extension sheep vet for Colorado State University. Back in the day, Dr. Kimberling would arrive with a crew of veterinary students. Dr. K would bicycle over the mountains from Fort Collins while the students drove the van. CSU no longer offers this service, but luckily for us, and others, Dr. Kimberling and Geri Parsons are keeping up the good work. He is still an avid bicyclist, and a working vet. Rhen was fascinated by the whole process, and told his parents that we had “preg tested” the rams.
bringing in the bucks
Modesto holding the foot securely
Oscar and Geri
Geri testing, Rhen learning
free at last!
Rhen checking the results with Geri and Dr. Kimberling
To lamb or not to lamb, that is the question
If it’s March, it must be time to pregnancy test. We breed the best of our Rambouillet ewes to Rambouillet rams, thereby ensuring a new crop of replacement ewe lambs, as well as their brothers/cousins. Since purebred whiteface lambs are more vulnerable at birth, especially the twins, we pregnancy check the moms so that the ewes carrying twins can lamb in the sheds. The rest of the Rambouillet ewes are bred to our Hampshire rams. Their lambs have hybrid vigor and usually do fine with drop lambing on the range. Our friend Geri Parsons from Optimal Livestock Services comes up each March at mid-pregnancy to check the ewes and call out “single”, “twins”, “open” and even “triplets”. Meghan and her crew appropriately marked the ewes with a paint dab on their heads to signify their status for later sorting. Geri usually braves chill winds and long drives for several days to accomplish this task. Here’s some photos of this year’s pregnancy checking.
Ewes, waiting for the verdict
Pepe at the chute, Geri’s office in the tent
It was REALLY MUDDY!!!
Chris bringing up the ewes
Pregnancy testing crew–Sam the Border collie, Modesto, Maeve, Meghan, Pepe, Tiarnan, Geri, Chris
the view from Eagle’s Nest, looking east
Guardian Dogs on the job
Livestock Guardian Dogs on the job in the Red Desert
Modesto is also on the job!
two noses are better than one
Scenes from Almost Solstice
Rainbow over Powder Rim
Feral horses on Racetrack
Yemerson with his sheep near Upper Powder Spring
Guardian dogs chowing down on whole kernel corn
Filo with guard dogs
Yearling ewes and old ewes
Unloading the bucks
Bucks spot the girls
Horse on the Red Desert
Lambs on Harper feedlot
Almost Solstice sunset
Sunset over Sandman Mountain
Over and under and on to the Red Desert
Here’s Modesto’s ewes, ready to head through Rodewald’s gate
Today, the third band of sheep crossed over the UP line and under I80 at Creston Junction. They are trailing north to winter pastures on the Cyclone Rim and Chain Lakes allotments in the Red Desert. This is a long walk from the summer pastures on the Routt and Medicine Bow National Forests.
Here’s the sheep topping the railroad overpass south of Creston Junction.
Modesto in the mirror
passing the Fireworks Stand
heading north, past I80
almost to the gate
Ladder Ranch
