As sheep go, I'm quite easy to please, especially at shearing time. Barb does all the shearing herself and usually us bucks are last due to the fact that we don't have any lambs with us and that we are exceptional guys to be around.

She shears the ewes first and she does it "the old-fashioned way," with blades (big shears). Barb likes to preserve the old way of doing things. She isn't out to win world records in speed, but I must say, neither the ewes or us bucks ever have to worry about being all cut up.

Barb learned to shear from a man in his 80's. I have heard her tell people that she does it that way cause she loves her sheep ad she likes being in the barn with her "hands on" approach to everything. Since she does all the lambing, docking and shearing, this is her favorite time of the year.

There three to five of guys on hand at the Twin Hills Ranch. Barb decides which one of us bucks will go with which ewes, and with that many of us around she can rotate each year. AFter she vaccinates the girls, we are put in with her wether lambs and fed back up so we finish the winter in good shape. The ewe lambs are then put in with the ewes and the barn is back to normal again. This has to be my favorite time of the year, because we (us big guys) are done working for the year and we can relax and just eat.

The ewes usually lamb in February or March and the barn is alive with the kids singing. Barb and the dogs are always out here during that time. She keeps the barn really clean, and personally, I think it's her way of just spending more time in the barn. Last year, Barb and John put up another addition to the barn and now they just shut the girls in at night so we don't have to worry about losing lambs due to the cold outside. Works really slick!

Barb has been feeding later at night so the ewes will have more day lambs and it seems to work. Most of the lambs have been arriving between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. This way she gets some sleep and we don't get awakened by the lights coming on in the middle of the night. I've heard Barb say several times that she isn't concerned about having a lot of twins, she just wants healthy lambs and singles, as far as that goes, have a faster gain to them.

People wonder why Barb raises us, the Cheviot breed of sheep. Her answer is that we are pretty sheep and a very clean sheep. There isn't as much grease content to our fleece so the smell is not as strong. She also feels we are a more intelligent breed of sheep and with our smaller heads and ears we are an excellent sheep during lambing time. This keeps her work to a minimum and as far as mothering ability, we are tops. Just try and take our lambs from us!

I remember the time when one of the ewes, Brownie, was due with her first set of lambs and one of the older ewes bumped her causing her to lamb early. Luckily Barb was due for her check. Brownie lambed, both lambs born outside, and Barb and John got her into the barn with her lambs and got them dried off. When all the excitement was over, they saw how small the lambs were. Barb weighed the pair and together they weighed a total of five pounds. Not too big. Well Barb watched them all night. Brownie wasn't about to need any help, they were hers! Barb sheared Brownie the next morning and the lambs had been sucking but since they were so small they didn't need too much. Brownie got extra special care and was kept in the barn for about two weeks longer than the normal three days. The lambs were full of fight and they grew up to be pretty nice sized ewes.

You were probably wondering why Barb shears the ewes after they lamb. Well, she likes to cut down on stress every chance she can. Shearing after the ewes lamb is actually pretty easy. The ewes are already confined and if she has two or three in jugs (little lambing pens), that is all she has to shear that day. After she shears she turns the ewes and her lambs into a separate lot so she can feed them a little extra to keep up their milk. This way, the ewes left to lamb don't get extra fat before lambing. This gall has things figured out.

When Barb gets us all sheared she sorts out the fleece and sells the good stuff to spinners and the tags, bellies and fleece that the spinners don't buy goes to the wool warehouse to be sold. Barb keeps the very best fleece, mine of course, to spin for herself. She is pretty crafty and makes a lot of neat stuff with our fleece. She has made some Santa Claus' that are really cute. She ahs acquired a Navajo loom and has been anxious to get started making rugs, etc., with our wool.

Well I had better close for now. If any of you folks are interested in seeing my flock, or visiting with Barb give us a call at (605) 456-2802 or stop by and see us.

That's all for now,
Junior