This time of year comes and many may think we take a deep breath to relax a bit. This isn’t further from the truth.
We have started breeding season. This year we have four Katahdin rams and two Dorper rams. We are excited about the possibility of incorporating a new breed into our program. If you remember, both breeds are hair sheep which gives the meat a mild, tender flavor. The sheep have hair and not wool which means our meat doesn’t have that lanolin (wool) flavor.
Sheep are pregnant for 147 days (5 months) and weigh on average 8-11 pounds at birth. Twins are usually typical in Katahdin hair sheep, triplets are not unheard of. The rams usually go in during mid October which means we will be lambing in March again this year.
Our two Black Angus heifers that we had Artificial Inseminated last summer went in to the vet a few weeks ago for pregnancy checks. The boys went with Lance (my husband) to watch. It was a neat experience for hands on learning. They are pregnant and will calve at the end of May!
Sickness got a hold of us this Christmas season and forced us to change our Christmas plans. Our middle son (4.5 year old) got the sickness the worst! He was knocked down for 4 days. I didn’t realize how stressed I was until he started to feel better just recently. Seeing your loved ones sick and helpless is so hard and emotionally draining.
If I have learned anything about living here, it is that you must be flexible in your plans and mindset! Plans change and will need to be readjusted, whether it be from sickness or the weather. Before he got sick, we made chocolate crinkle cookies. It was my first attempt at making them and they were a huge success. Our son who was sick has been asking for me to save him some so he can have them when he feels better.
We watched a movie this past weekend called The Star” with the kids (ages; 7,4.5 and 2). They really enjoyed it! I loved the message it shares about the birth of our savior, born as a baby in a stable with the cows, sheep and donkeys.
We plan to see my family in Minnesota this coming weekend to have a Christmas with them and all the crazy fun cousin time. There are so many memories that are made every year while visiting family. I hope this has you reflecting on Jesus and the real reason we have a Christmas Day.
Don’t forget to check out our website for more stories! www.myrvikfarms.com
