T.G.I.F.!

Okay, for a lot of people, T.G.I.F. is a big deal.  I’ll admit for myself, since I’m at home all the time, it doesn’t make much difference.  I just go from working online to housework.  Come to think of it, I prefer Monday through Friday!

But for those of you who can’t wait for Friday, here it is!

And here’s hoping everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Dohne Sheep In Australia

So what does a little farm in the southern United States have to do with Dohne sheep in Australia?

Well, although we obviously don’t have any Dohne sheep, I have a friend in Australia who does.  Ironically, we didn’t meet because we both love sheep, we met because of guinea pigs.  Now that’s not because of the pet variety of guinea pigs mind you, but because WE were the guinea pigs.  We were in a group of about a dozen people called, yes, The Guinea Pigs!  We were testing an internet marketing system.  So I’d already discovered Susan was nice before I found out she had sheep, but that’s when I knew she’s REALLY special!

What’s better, she just sent me some pictures of some of her gorgeous sheep and graciously agreed to let me publish them on my blog.

Doesn’t this ewe have a lovely face?  But she’s not just a pretty face!  Oh no, this dual purpose breed allows a producer to market both a quality heavy-weight slaughter lamb and fine-medium white wool.

Oh, and in case you’re like me and wondering just how to pronounce Dohne, Susan says it’s pronounced ‘do knee’.

Check out this picture of the flock last October, during lambing season.

Another irony there, as October was when we used to breed our Shetland ewes, but since their seasons in Australia are reversed from ours in the States, so are the times for breeding and lambing.

And here’s one of the Dohne lambs. . .

And as cute as this little lamb is, I think this picture is even cuter. . .

Isn’t that precious? Come on now, you know it is!

In case you’re not familiar with the Dohne breed, the Australian Dohne Breeders Association says they were

“developed by the South African Department of Agriculture using Peppin–type Merino ewes and German Mutton Merino sires. The progeny were interbred and selected for high fertility, rapid lamb growth rate and fine wool under commercial pastoral conditions.”

So not only are they a robust meat breed, they have that lovely Merino wool.  Susan says, “Our wool is still around the 18.5 micron, so we lose nothing in wool quality! It is soft and beautiful.”

Looking after these sheep has to be a big project considering the size of Homebush.  Our little 12-acre farm is only about 1/3 of 1% the size of their place.  Or to put it another way, our farm is 1/259th the size of Homebush.  Quick!  So how big is their place???

If you said 3108, you calculated correctly, but the precise number is actually 3110 acres.  (It was too hard to put fiddly teensy fractions in there!)

That’s a lot of land to go looking for sheep!  Looks like they have canine assistance to bring in the lambs though.

The lambs in the above picture are only 2 – 3 months old.  They grow quick!

I asked Susan how many sheep and other livestock they have, and here’s the count she gave me for creatures at Homebush:

• 1000 Dohne sheep
• 100 Brangus Cows with calves
• 2 Horses
• 5 Dogs
• 3 Cats
• 15 Chickens
• 1 Corella (native to Australia; also called a Bare-eyed Cockatoo)
• And hundreds of kangaroos that eat our precious grass!!
• Plus plenty of wild pigs that eat our lambs, and
• Eagles that steal lambs, not to mention
• Crows that try to kill lambs and ewes . . .
• ….and that’s about it, except for us three humans, my mum, my husband and me

All I can say is…. Wow!  And with that, it’s time for the end. . .

Or maybe a whole lot of ends!

Thanks Susan for sharing your pictures and fun info about your Dohne sheep and other critters at Homebush farm in Queensland,  Australia!

Parrot On A Hamper

I mean, everyone has parrots on their clothes hampers, right?

It’s like this, the other day I was taking a shower, and when I opened the bathroom door, this is what I saw:

A-parrot-ly I was in the shower too long, and my little feathered kid missed me.  She’s like that – – if I’m out of sight too long and don’t answer her contact calls, she comes looking for me.

She’s also very nosy, so once she figured out I was still around, she decided to check out her surroundings a little more closely.

I rather image she crawled up the clothes hamper using the open spaces as a sort of jungle gym.  But getting back down, now that might be a little harder.

As usual, I rescued her and carried her back to her cage.

But I’ve got to tell you, it’s a little disconcerting to come out of the bathroom and find a bird looking at you.

Fowl Play

We have fowl running around all over the farm.  Sometimes they even go off the farm, like this group of guineas on a neighbor’s driveway. . .

Around here the chickens don’t cross the road, so no need to ask “Why did the chicken cross the road?”  They do, however, go into our woods sometimes.

On occasion, the Buff Orpington hens make a chorus line, ready to cackle their way into stardom . . .

While the guineas prefer a sportier racing venue, and are ready to start at the gate.

On cold days, the rooster grabs a perch and crows, sending up smoke signals.

Just about anywhere you look on the farm, you can see fowl play, because there are guineas and chickens everywhere!

Looney Llama

Our lady llama is in-your-face nosy.  Most of the time when I try to get a picture of her close-up, this is what happens:

Okay, that’s a little TOO close-up.