# Flock pictures!



## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

I thought it would be fun to have a place where people could post sheep pictures, just because!

I'll start! 

The flock wondering if I brought them anything, debating coming into the pen from the pasture
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One of my original 3 ewes, due late January (in the middle)
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Mr Washington, my yearling ram. 
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Georgie (as Washington is affectionately called) courting some of my new ewes (10 months) and wondering where the heck the alfalfa pellets are. 
View attachment 20587


Finally, iPhones have a pano option now that I never use, but here is the entire flock, their run in, and the night pen. 
View attachment 20588


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

Really? No one else wants to share? Kinda feelin lonely here!


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

not good weather to go out and snap pictures here.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Beautiful flock. 

Between the start of lambing season in some areas and the not so nice weather... might be a couple of days before you see folks post photos.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

Callieslamb said:


> not good weather to go out and snap pictures here.



Sorry guys! I'm a little disconnected. We are back to average seasonal weather here, I guess my brain said that everyone must be too. 

Thanks Bergere! I am so excited I can finally get within a few hundred feet of them. All were absolutely wild range sheep when they came here. Yesterday, after I took these pics, I convinced one of the young ewes to take a treat from my hand, and everyone (but for Washington the ram and Betsy the wariest of all the ewes) was all around me! 

I have "lamb envy" of everyone with cute baby pictures to share.

Eta: all the words worked better post coffee ingestion.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

My three


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

dlskidmore said:


> My three



Lookit all that wool! They look great!


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

This is two years of growth. Their former owner is no longer able to shear. We are expecting lambs in April, looking forward to shearing before that.


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Here are a couple of ours from last summer. Only have the four ewes. Included a few of the lambs. I think that brown young ram was resposnible for our quads New Years Day.


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

These are 5 of my ewes at the beginning of December. They are due next month. The ewe looking in second row is not bred she was a last year lamb. I will breed her and her sister in April for fall lambs, just for a change. They are St Croix/Dorper crosses for several generations. I've bred them to a St Croix this year to see what I get and get some fresh genetics.


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## creeksidelc (Aug 4, 2014)

Here is one of mine.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I'm in!


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

My flock is growing...


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## CarolinaHobby (Jun 23, 2014)

dlskidmore, your first picture made me LOL-on my small cellphone screen, they looked like haybales initially -giggles- 

Beautiful flocks though, everyone!


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

I have posted some before but I love to show off my sheep.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

Yeah, they had not been sheared in a long time when I got them, and I was not doing it in sub freezing weather. The lady on the right with a lamb in the second picture is the shorn version of one of those wool balls.


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## VBR_Farms (Jan 8, 2012)

Hi All, I've been reading watching for a number of years.
Here is some of my flock.


2014 Twin JacobX ewe lambs


2014 Lambs


2014 Bottle Babies






Flock Fall grazing 2013


Flock Fall grazing 2013 different Angle :cute:

Hope all are having a good year.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Olde English Babydoll Southdowns
Blanka, Lolla, Cotton Candy, Vanilla, Periwinkle, Chocolate, Shelly, Lambee, Bouncy & Billy.


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## mylambys777 (Aug 27, 2014)

My boys.


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

Cool sheep everyone!

I'm getting into Black Welsh Mountain sheep. ...and will probably be adding Shetlands as soon as I can.


My huge flock...:grin:







Actually this one is half Black Welsh and half Border Leicester....the other 2 are reg. Black Welsh


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

I love the black welsh. If I ever get room for a second flock...


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

dlskidmore said:


> I love the black welsh. If I ever get room for a second flock...


I really like them! ...can't wait to get more! ...can't wait to have my first ever lambs next year! I like shoeing horses and all that, so it was fun trying my hand at hand shearing! Hopefully in my pics to come there aren't sheep in them with missing ears, legs, tails, etc...lol.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

Teats and penises are the thing to be careful not to cut. Most of my mistakes were on the outside of the leg, and I've done well since switching to shearing on the stand. I get less tired and all my mistakes are when I get tired and rush things.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

3acres- I'm also a farrier, and did shearing trial-by-fire this year, 27 sheep, all alone, with hand shears. 

Awesome, addictive. Looking forward to next year ;-)


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

Being a farrier you probably have the back/leg strength to hold that bent position better than I. When I try to bend properly from the waist I can feel it all through my thighs after 20 minutes.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

Dlskid- I'm so out of shape, it's not even funny. I had hired a shearer, he got hurt and needed surgery. It was late anyway, June in central Texas, and I couldn't bear to let them in the heat any longer. I was all but paralyzed the first few sessions (two or three at a go)-- just kept trucking. My thighs, knees and low back were in complete spasms, haha! My hands felt like they had been crushed... 

Anyway, I felt so guilty... I got it done.


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## nobrabbit (May 10, 2002)

Market day:


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

Yeah, I bought these 2 things, watched some youtube videos and went to work...:grin:




If I had 27 to do, I'd probably still be out there....lol. I only had one at shearing time this year. I was so worried about cutting her I took a very long time and probably left her a tad long. I recut some parts of her. I can't wait to do more and get better at it! I'll never be known as "ol' 3 blows and it's done Ryan"... ...but would love to see how good I can get with these hand shearers!


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

We're a special breed, us horseshoers...


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

My worst nick, about the size of a dime. I covered it w wonder dust and apologized profusely to the wee lass. 








23 of the sheep are wild psycho Rambos. This cut one was, of course, the sweetest of the bunch. I felt awful.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Wild psycho rambos? Must be the sheep whose fleece is used to make army socks.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

handymama said:


> Wild psycho rambos? Must be the sheep whose fleece is used to make army socks.



Haha! My Rambouillet flock is a little unruly to say the least. At 150-175lb a ewe and the ram in around 250lb, and me at 5'9/160lb, this girl had her hands full!


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

:grin:


(That's walnut stain on my nailing hammer...not blood...:grin: I couldn't find my regular hammer while doing some wood working projects so I used my nailing hammer.)

That's actually a goats foot in that pic...pics are from a year or two ago...I enjoy trimming goat and sheep feet. I like not having to rely on a bunch of people to keep my animals happy and healthy! 

I'd say that's pretty darn good, lexierowsell...to do that many and only knick the once like that just starting out.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

I always preface horse clients with "Don't worry, it's my blood."

I also love needing very little external input for my animal base. This year I am doing the AI course for cattle, and will be experimenting with storing in my own tank. 

Thanks! I thought I did ok. Cleo forgave me, but she still gets a special treat when I can get close enough... Just can't forgive myself.


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

That's neat you're doing an AI course! This coming up breeding season will be the first ever year I wished I knew how to AI and had the stuff to do it. I had lots of bulls to breed with when I ran bucking bulls...then I actually *cough* *cough* (whispering) bred a few daughters back to their dad getting into these beef cattle like I am now. I don't have that bull anymore and would really like to improve further on these heifers I'm getting out of my new bull this year. So I may look into and be ready next spring??? All this stuff like that with sheep and cattle is just a great thing...lots of ways to do stuff!


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

I have all dairy cows, tiny jerseys in fact. I also have a jersey bull. He is the absolute reason I'm learning AI. He's a holy terror. 

Some of my girls















Here my new ram lamb, just to stay somewhat in sheep ;-)


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

I am excited. This weekend we are adding 5 more ewes. I actually got DH talked into letting me get more.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

3acres said:


> I actually *cough* *cough* (whispering) bred a few daughters back to their dad


Line breeding isn't a crime. Just requires more vigilance in looking for recessive defects.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

dlskidmore said:


> Teats and penises are the thing to be careful not to cut. Most of my mistakes were on the outside of the leg, and I've done well since switching to shearing on the stand. I get less tired and all my mistakes are when I get tired and rush things.


 
I have been shearing for over 40 years. Started at age 9 in 4-H club. I would not be able to continue to do it if it weren't for the blocking stand. It makes it so much easier and they look so much better when I am done. We actually have 2 stands so DH works on one and I work on one. We get 30-40 sheep done in a weekend and that is with breaks


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

Very nice looking cows! That one looks like she is about to pop. I can't believe I don't have a milk cow or 2 yet...someday I will! Besides animals, milk is probably my only true addiction and it's a bad one...lol...LOVE milk! 

Dairy bulls do seem to be something. 

Good looking ram! I do apologize for steering the thread off course! I honestly almost posted a couple more flock pics in my last reply to get back to sheep, but I'm not real impressed with my flock yet.

Ginger again...a couple of days ago



She is super tame now and likes to help plant trees....we've planted over 100 trees and landscaping bushes this year here.





mowing the yard










shortly after I sheared her



last winter


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## 3acres (Feb 6, 2013)

dlskidmore said:


> Line breeding isn't a crime. Just requires more vigilance in looking for recessive defects.


You bet! The bull I did that with was a L1 registered horned Hereford, which is a line of Herefords that are a result of a lot of line breeding if I understand correctly. They did it so the bulls from the line throw a lot of uniformity in their groups of offspring...which it did for me with that bull any way. I was breeding that bull to Angus cows. ...and then to some of his daughters like I mentioned for a couple years. I got by with it. None of the calves from the daughters were as good as the first cross...I got a pretty big kick of heterosis in that first cross, imo. Those cows I bought all had Angus sired calves in them when I bought them so I got to see the comparison. I didn't get anything that I'd say was a major wreck by no means, no 2 heads or 3 eyes...lol....the calves I got just don't pop as much as the rest. Looking back, my bull I had wasn't a bull worth line breeding with. It did help me out though I'd say. Money has been very tight with me the last few years and will be. I am using a registered Brangus bull right now and would like to use a registered horned Hereford on his daughters. Oooooooops, I'm getting away from sheep again.....sheep are neat... :happy2:


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

My little flock has some serious line breeding. The two ewes all my breeding ewes come from are from a flock in the hill country. 3 previous rams came directly or indirectly from that same flock. Last year I bought in partnership a St Croix ram to bring in some different outside blood. I liked half of his lambs. I couple really fit what I want to produce, but they had no color to speak off. Mine are all badger face ewes except one (who has the genetics and has thrown badger face lambs). So I traded for a little ram lamb this year who was half dorper and half Barb. He's a colorful little fellow. I will cross him on the St Croix daughters and the ewes whose lambs were not quite what I wanted. Each year I produce several of the type that I'm looking for. I'm cross breeding Dorper and St Croix. There is some Katadin and maybe Barb in a ram a couple of he reactions back. It's fun to see what I get and I like a little color. I kept 3 ewe lambs from this year. One is to small for me to breed, I would have probably sold her except she managed to escape being penned. I want to see how she grows out so decided to keep her. Breeding cross breds, it's difficult to get get a consistent offspring, but it's fun trying.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Finally felt good enough to get out and get some photos.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)




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## BrownYaks (Mar 6, 2013)

Here is a group shot of our goobers. 

And our two newest members


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## Wollett (Jan 21, 2013)




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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

I'm loving my Katahdins & Kat/Dorper crosses! Can't wait for lambing to start in feb!


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

My small flock... such as it is. 
Was thinking about raising breeding stock again.. but age and a broken back, a number of years ago, and shearing my one Finn ewe..... Just think I will stay with these as lawn mowers.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Double C Acres said:


> I'm loving my Katahdins & Kat/Dorper crosses! Can't wait for lambing to start in feb!


Love all the colors!


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

Some pics off the game camera in the pasture.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)

Beautiful frosty morning here in Texas


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## JCNelson (Sep 6, 2013)

Here's our small flock. We've had them just over a year, our first time ever having sheep. The white ram is our first ram and the brown ram with him is a Barbados we recently purchased. And of course I had to include the chicken on the sheeps back picture.

Glad we found this forum, thanks for all the help!


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

beautiful flock! love the baby in first pic!!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

JCNelson, very nice!
I shared a group shot on page one of this thread, but took this pic right before Thanksgiving, of one of my remaining 4 ewes giving our new Columbia ram her best "come hither" look. LOL!
She was already getting her winter "I wish I was real wool" coat.
I just really love this picture of her.
They really are a beautiful animal, just wish they grew wool...........


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## Jreed (Dec 24, 2014)

Some of my critters


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## JCNelson (Sep 6, 2013)

Yes they are Hercsmama. We love them, that's why we decided to get a full Barbados ram and in the spring we may try to get a few ewes and slowly go back to full Barbados. Your ewe's great looking!

I do love seeing all the different breeds on here though, it' great to see the difference.

Jreed, those curly horns are awesome. I wish we had more room to have a flock the size you do.


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## Jreed (Dec 24, 2014)

JCNelson said:


> Yes they are Hercsmama. We love them, that's why we decided to get a full Barbados ram and in the spring we may try to get a few ewes and slowly go back to full Barbados. Your ewe's great looking!
> 
> I do love seeing all the different breeds on here though, it' great to see the difference.
> 
> Jreed, those curly horns are awesome. I wish we had more room to have a flock the size you do.


Cheers, it's A lot of work as i/we do small contract grazing and move them around with out a luxury of a barn and permanent lambing zone... lost lots of stock early on and this is a side job after a normal job. I shear sheep and get freebie bummer lambs and weird stock all the time. That ram is now on my table and in my freezer , a little spice and he is quite nice.


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## Double C Acres (Nov 25, 2011)

My flock of katahdins (& a couple half dorper) on this crisp wintery morning. I had to use a little bribery to get them outside! preggo bellies are growing! due late feb.


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## lexierowsell (Dec 10, 2013)




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## BlueHen (Jul 25, 2014)

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My girls


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## Jreed (Dec 24, 2014)

Some of the young ones


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