snapshots

Well, just a note to say I am surviving so far while my husband is north. Ha ha, he had a snowstorm. The night before he left, we saw a big cat coming out of the woods near the pastures. It was about the size of a small sheep....grey, had a long tail....and looked pretty comfortable with the area. It did not make me comfortable, however, and I go out with the dog when she barks at night.
I did ocupy myself while he was gone, and have finally done the dishes, rearranged the living room, and the porch, and painted the front of the house a nice halloween pumpkin orange. Gotta love paint!
I will place bets....to anyone who wishes, that he doesn't notice the front of the house is no longer white....yes, it will be dark when he gets home.
I am including a photo of our goose, who now grazes with the ram lambs in the back yard. The cat who wanted to see what I was doing so far from home, checking the sheep.
There are a couple of photos of the girls, settling into the hay field for the winter. You can try counting....I do know how many there are out there....but the grass is taller than the heads.

On another note, we recently delivered some ram lambs to the USDA facility in our state. I was pleased with the money for my lambs. I didn't feel too bad for them because they were penned with some big girl sheep....and appeared to be taking advantage of the tall hind ends.
Some fellow brought in 25 goats....and we commented that he must have stuffed them into the truck until he figured he had 1000$ worth.
So on the way home we speculated about throwing a few goats into the mix....then the subject was bigger sheep.....then cross-breeds.....you remember, those mules?
So I spent a few days on the computer looking into goats....and other bigger breeds.
Now...please don't think I am considering anyones breeding programs!!!! I am letting you follow my logic.....goats....I know goats are noisey....I know the male goats have a strong odor....they also have several health problems which would require inspections in Missouri. Well, that's too much trouble for me....especially since there was only 20 cents difference in cash per pound the day I was there.
I would prefer sheep.....I have had big dumb girls....they weren't any more trouble than the rest of the sheep until I wanted to lift them into the truck!
So I considered the difference in price....my boys will never go more than 50 pounds before I get them shipped. A bigger breed....especially if I didn't want another ram---but cross-bred the ewes.....could grow maybe 20 more pounds before shipping..... so for 3 big ewes....and 6 lambs....shipping 4 and breeding back 2....would be 80 $ more than my own sheep would bring.
OK....initial cost could be 100 per ewe....cheap cost....that's 300, subtract the extra money for the lambs.
It would take me FOUR YEARS to make a profit on those three ewes. If I breed three ewes that I am just keeping because they are friends....I can make a profit on their ram lambs the FIRST YEAR.....and I have the added benefit, that I might decide to sell a ewe lamb....registerable from those extra breedings.
So I have decided to do nothing different....and plan to make more money from the sheep I already own.
Hopefull my logic is better than the logic used by the washington crowd.
bopeep