~Redbud Lane Farm~

2011-05-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all the graduates celebrating this spring!

Happy 15th Birthday Ben!

2011-04-14T13:27:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to wish my middle son, Benjamin Dale, a very happy 15th birthday today. The first picture was taken at is confirmation last April and the second picture was taken this past Christmas. He was very insistent that I not use "old" pictures. lol Teenagers! Love you much honey pot! ;)

Angora Bunnies

2011-04-14T09:05:00.001-05:00

I was searching through some old pictures and found one of a litter of French Angora bunnies. I used to raise them about 5-6 years ago but found they were too labor intense, cute little buggers though!

Upgrade

2011-04-13T13:22:00.001-05:00

I have upgraded from the cast to this fashionable (not!) walking boot. I can now put a bit of weight on my foot, enough to make it easier getting around the house. I still can't do much as my foot tends to double in size if it is not elevated most of the time. And I can't get out of the house without help other than to the front or back porches. I have not been to the barn in 3 1/2 weeks but Dan did get me in the car and drive me out to see my Plymouth Barred Rock chicks in the brooder house, my how fast they grow! Hopefully in another three weeks I will be back on both feet and able to enjoy the summer and the great outdoors again.

Broken Ankle

2011-03-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

I made it through all the snow and ice this winter only to hurt myself on a beautiful, 70 degree day. I stepped off the front porch steps Monday and twisted my ankle, badly. I suffered a fracture in my fibula and will be in this pretty purple cast for three weeks and then a boot for another three, possibly four. The shearer comes today and I won't even be able to be out in the barn, let alone help. Well, I guess I will get caught up on all the reading I've been wanting to do.

Ivy

2011-02-23T14:07:00.000-06:00

It has been so gray and overcast here, not good outdoor picture taking conditions. So here's a picture taken inside of my twin ivies. They are both from cuttings, the original plant was given to my mother when she was in the hospital having me! They were both in need of bigger pots so to feed my cravings of playing in the dirt I decided to re-pot them Monday. They love the light from all the south windows and have done very well this winter.

Bandits

2011-02-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

I caught these little bandits eating corn from this past fall's corn shock. We had left it on the edge of the woods for the chickens and birds to clean up but it looks like it has attracted interest from some others. They are both pretty little and look like the winter has been a bit hard on them so we left them to eat.

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-02T09:40:00.001-06:00

February of 2011 arrived with a storm for the record books. Almost two feet of snow with winds of 35-45 miles per hour. We spent this morning digging paths to the barns
and even off of the back deck.
I decided to just try my luck breaking through the drifts to the chicken coop.
As always, Ginger was right there with us!

Dan came by this morning in a MODoT tractor to clear the road.

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we are going to have an early spring. Let's hope!

Eagle Blog?

2011-01-25T12:09:00.003-06:00

I can't help it, I am so taken with these majestic birds! I noticed one flying outside my window and ran down and grabbed the camera. Not only was this adult bald eagle circling the pasture across the road, his buddy was perched in what I am now calling "The Eagle Tree."

Juvenile Eagle

2011-01-22T10:16:00.004-06:00

I just happened to look out the front window this morning and spotted this juvenile bald eagle perched in the tree directly across from our lane. You can tell how close the tree is by the picture I took from the side porch. He seemed very content to sit and watch over things for a long while. I still can't get over seeing them this close to the house, what magnificent birds!

I'm Wishing, I'm Wishing....

2011-01-20T10:45:00.006-06:00

For spring!!! Why is it that December snow is so much more magical than January snow?

"Did you bring us more hay Mom? We already ate what Dad gave us this morning."

Susie seems to be enjoying herself this morning!

The goatie girls much prefer the barn this morning. Poor Nellie is getting on in age and doesn't seem to be handling the cold very well this year at all. She's the Toggenburg in the back. I may have to find her a coat...

Bald Eagles

2011-01-19T14:34:00.003-06:00

I love bald eagles, some would even say I have an infatuation with them. My kids actually accuse me of "stalking" them! Growing up we never saw bald eagles, thanks in large part to DDT. In the last few years we have had the wonderful fortune of watching them make a dramatic come back. (Dan likes to remind me I won't like them as much when they are preying on my chickens). I snapped these pictures just up the road at my neighbor's house. There was some roadkill in the ditch across from his lane and they had been dining on it for the past couple of days. I counted four there today but they seemed skittish of my car parked in the driveway and would not land (pose) for me. I took a chance and snapped a few. Please forgive the bad lighting, it seems the sun rarely shines this time of year.

My Wish Book

2011-01-18T20:33:00.005-06:00

You know you might be a little bit of a country girl when the new McMurray Hatchery catalog arrives in the mail and you exclaim that your "wish book" is finally here!
It seems like every other day there is a new seed catalog in the mailbox and I love sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate and dreaming about playing in the dirt again. Yet nothing quite says Spring to me like a magazine full of chicks and ducklings. I sold all of my ducks and even my one goose last year and I miss them more than I thought I would. I haven't decided what breed I am going to get this time. I have had Indian Runners, Mallards, Rouens, Black Cayugas, Blue Swedes, White Pekin and Khaki Campbells. I really loved them all. Oh! Decisions, decisions! :)

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-11T09:51:00.004-06:00

I snapped a few pictures while Ginger and I were out feeding the birds this morning.

The chickens decided to dine in. :)

Snow Much Fun!

2011-01-11T08:56:00.003-06:00

We got the six inches of snow they were predicting and Ginger, my corgi, decided to help me feed the birds this morning. Well, she just played while I fed.

It's Snowing!

2011-01-10T15:18:00.002-06:00

The snow has started to fly and they are predicting 4-6 inches by tomorrow. It doesn't seem to bother the sheep and birds though.

Happy Holidays (a little late)

2011-01-05T12:11:00.003-06:00

A belated Merry Christmas to my blogland friends and I hope 2011 holds more blessings than you will be able to count!

Why Parents of Teenagers Have Gray Hair

2010-06-21T17:34:00.005-05:00

You preach to your teenagers over and over, "Wear your seatbelt." You hope they listen and put it on every time they get in a vehicle. Thank God our sixteen-year-old son, Chris, did. He was going around a curve on a blacktop road when his wheels dropped off and he went into the ditch. He gunned it to get out of the ditch and came up and across the road and over-corrected, flipping his 1988 Ranger which landed on its wheels in the middle of the road. As you can see from the pictures, the top of the cab on the driver's side hit the pavement with a lot of force and his window was open at the time. The State Trooper who wrote up the accident report said if he had not been wearing his seatbelt this would probably have been a fatality. I am so proud of Chris for wearing his seatbelt. He is sore and a bit shook up but nothing serious. Please, remind your loved ones to buckle up and you wear your seatbelt too. Chris made a simple choice to wear his and we have no doubt that he is here with us today because of it.

Sheep For Sale - White Yearling Ewes

2010-06-16T15:03:00.006-05:00

We have four white yearlings for sale.

Tag #45 is UNregistered and has one ear that was taken off by something when she was just a lamb. She has never had any problems with it and seems to hear just fine. She was born 4/10/09 and is priced at $75.00. She should produce some lovely lambs.

Tag #36 was born on 4/21/09 to Century Farm Tinkerbell out of Windswept Bravo. She is not registered yet, she is priced at $100 as UNregistered or $200 if you want her registered.

Tag #38 was born on 4/19/09 to Locksfield McCleady Laine out of Windswept Bravo. She is priced at $100 UNregistered or $200 registered.
Tag #40 was born on 4/14/09 to Locksfield Madison out of Windswept Bravo. She is priced at $100 UNregistered or $200 registered.

Sheep For Sale - Ewe Lamb #55

2010-06-16T13:56:00.011-05:00

This little darling is out of Century Farm Mary (Our farm name was Century Farm before we moved) and by Windswept Bravo and was born 4/21/10. She will be turning gray as she gets older but will be registered as gray, flecket. She is priced at $200.

Sheep For Sale - Ram Lamb #53

2010-06-16T13:08:00.010-05:00

I will be posting pictures over the next few days of lambs and yearlings that we are offering for sale. If you see something you like please let me know! These are the three breeding rams we used, from left to right, Magnum, Angus and Bravo.

This first ram lamb is tag #53, a moorit, krunet out of RedbudLane Celeste (Black, Blettet) by Windswept Bravo. He was born 4/21/10 and his horns are coming in nicely. All of our ram lambs are sold with a horn guarantee. This little ram is priced at $200 and we always give discounts if you purchase more than one sheep.

He has a very nice tail and solid confirmation. You can click on any picture to enlarge and see the fleece a bit better. Check out the crimp on this little guy!

Chicken Pics

2010-04-14T15:37:00.002-05:00

My Plymouth Barred Rock chicks are really growing up. They have graduated from the little brooder coop to the big chicken coop.

2010 Lamb Pics

2010-04-14T15:19:00.006-05:00

Madison is out enjoying the sunshine with her twins. They were born last Friday morning.
McCleady and her ram who was born Saturday afternoon. McCleady is eleven this year so this was her last lambing. She will be retired and spend her remaining days here with us at Redbud Lane.

CeeCee and her twin rams who were born Monday evening.

2010 Lambing Season Begins!

2010-04-09T14:04:00.007-05:00

Madison gave us a set of twins this morning. A ewe and a ram. A wonderful start to lambing season!

This is the little ewe. I just love her nose!

2010-03-21T16:50:00.002-05:00

We had a pair of Great Blue Herons perch in the tree across the road from our house this afternoon.

Spring weather

2010-03-12T07:57:00.004-06:00

Wednesday we finally had some warm sunshine and I made use of it by snapping a few pics.

New Chicks!

2010-03-04T09:13:00.002-06:00

My Plymouth Barred Rock chicks came today from Cackle Hatchery. I ordered 25 pullets and 5 cockerels, I have no idea if that is how many I got because as soon as I opened the box they were jumping out! They were quick to the water and feed and seem to be doing great.

New Pics!

2010-03-04T08:58:00.004-06:00

I finally got the camera out and snapped some quick pics of the bottle babies all grown up, along with a few other random pics.
This is what greets me over the gate at the barn. Susie and I are literally nose to nose when she stands on her hind legs!

This is Daisy, a.k.a. Sis, she loves people and is very spoiled. :)

Here's Duke, a.k.a. Bro, he loves people too but since he is now a VERY stinky billy he doesn't get as much hands-on attention as he would like.

This is just a couple of our guineas looking for something to eat this morning. You can see we still have patches of snow on the ground.

Boomerang Babies

2010-03-01T11:44:00.002-06:00

Remember these little ones from last spring?

If not, here's where you can read about them as bottle babies. The young lady who bought them just found out she is having a baby of her own (how exciting)! So, she decided she wasn't going to have time for these spoiled goats and they came back home to Redbud Lane where their little lives began. We are wishing Tasha the very best with her new little one and are happy to have Bro and Sis back. I will try to get pics added later today.

Eagle Watching

2010-02-21T10:32:00.004-06:00

This has been the longest winter I can remember for quite a few years now. We have passed some of the time by enjoying the many eagles we have in the area. These pics were taken at the Cannon Dam at Mark Twain Lake just a couple of weeks ago. We have counted as many as 7 or 8 at one time around the dam. Unfortunately, a couple of eagles have also been spotted perched in the tree above my chicken coop! It's neat to see them out your back door but maybe that is a little too close for comfort. lol

Bo

2009-10-04T16:19:00.002-05:00

Bo will be a month old tomorrow. They grow up so fast :'( He is an absolute joy and we are so blessed to have him. He loves scratches and comes right up to to get them as soon as he sees us. He does give his poor mama a rough time though. lol Bo is for sale for $500, a $100 deposit will hold him until he is ready for weaning.

Our Breeding Rams

2009-10-04T16:15:00.003-05:00

Here's a pic of our three breeding rams. Magnum, Angus and Bravo. It won't be long now and it will be time for them to go to work. Right now they are very content and all three get along will with each other.

My Birthday Present

2009-09-06T10:26:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday and our miniature donkey, Pearl, gave me the best present ever, a healthy little baby boy! Isn't he the cutest?!

Country Road, Take Me Home (or to the sheep)

2009-08-21T10:12:00.002-05:00

Matthew and I took a walk down a country road this morning to visit the sheep and goats. It is a beautiful day here and we just couldn't stand to be in the house any longer!

Mary and Sunny

2009-08-20T17:55:00.002-05:00

Today I was able to sit and spend some time with my dear friends, Mary and Sunny. Mary is a registered Shetland ewe and Sunny is a registered Kinder doe. Both enjoy lots of chin scratches and attention.

Econobusters Rug Contest

2009-07-01T09:07:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share this contest they are having over at Econobusters for a pretty outdoor rug. Now is the perfect time to win this rug for your porch or deck! Check it out over at Econobusters.

Catching UP

2009-06-21T08:29:00.002-05:00

It's been almost a month since I've posted and a lot has been going on here at Redbud Lane. Mostly we are being overrun with ducklings! These silly ducks are sooooo good at hiding their nests. lol Mrs. Mallard took her 14 babies and left so we don't have them anymore. We do have the ducklings out of 3 Indian Runners' nests, a total of 28 and two more are still sitting. These are all mutt ducks, a real mixture of different breeds. They are being sold for $2 each if anyone is interested. :)

The lambs are getting big and weaning is just around the corner. I believe we have decided to spend our July 4th separating the ewes from the lambs. Three of the wethers are sold and I've decided to keep two for myself. That leaves four wethers still available at $50 each or a discount if you purchase more than one. I have quite a few ewe lambs available too as well as some of the moms. I have decided to downsize a bit until the boys are finished with school. I need to take pictures but it's hard for me. Some of the moms have been a part of my flock for several years and I'm having a hard time with my decision to let them go to new homes.

Our miniature donkey, Pearl, is still expecting and getting quite a belly. We can hardly wait for the baby to arrive.

I promise more pictures in the near future, feel free to bug me for them! :)

Nellie's Buck

2009-05-24T17:45:00.003-05:00

Here is Nellie's 2009 kid, Werthers. (He reminds me of the candy!) He is a Toggenburg/Pygmy cross and the last kid for us this year.

Ducklings

2009-05-17T20:07:00.007-05:00

Our 2009 crop of ducklings have started to hatch. One Indian Runner has hatched out three ducklings and another Indian Runner is still sitting with about 3 weeks left to go. Mrs. Mallard gets our "Mother of the Year" award for hatching out 14 ducklings! They are so much fun to watch.

Fiber Pets

2009-04-24T17:09:00.003-05:00

Well, we are pretty sure lambing season is over here at Redbud Lane. We ended up with 11 ram lambs (9 ewe lambs) this year and all will be wethered due to the fact that we already have several nice rams that need new homes. If you are looking for a fiber producer and/or pet, these guys are wonderful. They also make great lawn mowers! I ask $50 each with a discount if you purchase two or more of them. We have white, black, brown and a couple I think will fade to gray. I'll be trying to post more pics as time and weather allow.

New French Angora Bunny

2009-04-17T09:12:00.003-05:00

This is Fruit Loops, my new French Angora buck, isn't he beautiful! He came from my good friend Jordan over at meetthebuns. I can't wait to get all that fiber off of him. :)

More Lambs!

2009-04-17T08:51:00.002-05:00

CeeCee gave us a set of beautiful twin ewes yesterday morning and Sophie, a yearling ewe who wasn't supposed to be bred, gave us a ram and a ewe that evening. Since Sophie was apparently bred by one of her half brothers (we're not even sure which one), her babies will be sold as unregistered pet quality. They are adorable though!
CeeCee and Ewes

Sophie and Twins

Happy Belated Birthday Ben!

2009-04-15T08:59:00.004-05:00

It's official! We now have two teenage boys in the house. (Chris turned 15 in December and Matthew will be 11 in July) Benjamin Dale celebrated his 13th birthday yesterday. This pic is a bit old but I like it. Happy Birthday Ben-Bo-Jo-Jo, we love you!

Ewe Lamb with Unusual Markings

2009-04-12T10:57:00.003-05:00

Here are some more pics of our ewe lamb with the unusual coloring and markings.

New Chicks

2009-04-10T18:31:00.003-05:00

These are a couple of chicks my friend brought to me after saving them at a local park. Someone was trying to release them into the wild. (a.k.a. feed the raccoons) I think they may be brown leghorns, one rooster and one pullet but I'm not sure yet. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have an idea what they may be.

Pygmy Bottle Babies

2009-04-10T18:23:00.006-05:00

Here's a pic of my two pygmy bottle babies. They have graduated to a pen in the barn. We love to get them out and walk around the farm with them. They literally run circles around us! :)

Sunny's Quads

2009-04-10T18:16:00.002-05:00

Just sharing a pic of Sunny and her four babies, born 4-1-09. All the babies are growing and doing well. They are jumping and playing and we are really enjoying them. The bucklings will all be banded and sold and I've decided to keep the doeling.

More Lambs!

2009-04-10T17:58:00.004-05:00

Ambrosia presented us with twins at high noon today. The little ram is dark brown and the ewe is....well, I'm not quite sure what she is! She has a white head and some reddish brown coloring. We'll have to wait till she's a bit cleaner to tell for sure. These lambs were sired by Toby.

First Lambs of 2009

2009-04-04T14:40:00.004-05:00

Our dear ewe Mary presented us with twin rams this afternoon. Both black with white on their head (krunet). Typical shetland lambs, they practically jumped right up and started nursing! :) Enjoy the pics!

April Fool's Day Surprise

2009-04-02T10:36:00.005-05:00

My kinder doe, Sunny, got me good for April Fool's. I was thinking we'd be lucky to get twins out of her this year and she goes and has FOUR! lol I'm not sure where she was hiding these kids but they are all doing fine, she is a good mama. Unfortunately, our LGD dog, Susie, chewed about 2" off the tip of one of Sunny's ear. It must have happened while she was in labor and I wasn't here. It was a clean cut and I think it will heal fine, it doesn't seem to be bothering her. Of course, she's a bit busy right now with those four new kids. The white one facing the camera is the only doe and she looks just like Sunny!

A Lamb-less March

2009-03-31T21:04:00.002-05:00

For the first time since 2005 we didn't have any lambs in March. I have several I've been watching pretty close but they are determined to bake those little lambies a bit more. I guess old Mother Nature knows what's she's doing.

New Bunny

2009-03-30T22:22:00.002-05:00

This is a pic of my mom falling in love with Christopher's new 4-H project, a New Zealand White rabbit. I think he would be perfectly happy as a house bunny! :)

Snug As a Goat in a Box?

2009-03-30T16:21:00.005-05:00

Our white pygmy, Lilly, gave us twins this morning, a black buck and a white doe. After getting them cleaned off she decided she wanted no part of motherhood. They got pretty chilled but with the help of my friend, Linda, we were able to save them. They are now snug in a box under a heat lamp in the kitchen. They are currently for sale as bottle babies! :)

New Cochin Chicks

2009-03-28T17:55:00.003-05:00

We recently took some of our ducks to a Hillbilly Auction and came home with four 3-week old buff cochin chicks. I just love their pretty feet! They aren't good layers but are reputed to be excellent setters. We're hoping at least some of these are female!

Grass and Hay Fire

2009-03-20T08:34:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Dan tried burning a stump out of the middle of a corn field and things got out of hand. Actually, things were fine around 2 o'clock but when he came back at 4:30 the field was burning, the grass was burning and the row of big round bales was on fire. He dropped me and the boys off near the grain bins to try and get it under control there while he jumped in the loader and headed to the other side of the pond and the field. LeRoy, Dan's dad was quickly there with a shovel and worked on the other end of the grass fire. Soon the Monroe City Fire Department was on the scene too. They really didn't have to do much, thankfully, but it was sure good to see them! Chris just happened to have his camera with him so he snapped these pictures. The last I knew the stump was still there. :)

Signs of Spring!

2009-03-17T19:16:00.004-05:00

Here are just couple pics I snapped today while out enjoying the beautiful day.
My onion chives are coming up, hurray!

Daylillies are just starting to poke their heads up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Brittney!

2009-03-09T12:15:00.003-05:00

We helped my niece, Brittney, celebrate her 10th birthday yesterday. Double digits, hurray!!!
We were sorry Grandma and Grandpa Schafer couldn't be there but maybe they can at least enjoy these pics. :)

And here is the whole crew! Chris, Ben, Shelby, Brittney, Matthew and Abby.

Clooney & Darlin'

2009-03-09T11:22:00.003-05:00

Here's a pic of our two outside dogs, Clooney and Darlin'. Clooney came to us from a local pound and Darlin' showed up one day half starved to death, an apparent victim of dog dumping. (Don't you just hate those people?!) Well, that person's junk was our treasure. :) She's such a lady, always having her paws crossed like that. Clooney was just being silly and begging for a belly scratch in this photo. These dog are pets but they do work here on the farm. They keep coyotes and stray dogs away and Clooney is an awesome mole catcher.

Freezer Cooking

2009-03-03T19:31:00.002-06:00

This month I thought I'd try my hand at Freezer Cooking, also know as OAMC (Once A Month Cooking). I have every meal planned for the month, breakfast, lunch and supper. We have done this before and find it to save money and sanity! All five of us are here for every meal so cooking is a huge chore in this house, especially with three growing boys! I allow one breakfast a week to be cold cereal or instant oatmeal and one meal per week is allowed to be eating out or perhaps a take-n-bake pizza brought home and cooked. We have breakfast and one big meal on Sunday and then it's popcorn in the evening. Other than that, it's three squares a day!
I feel like I have done pretty well with getting some good food prepared and in the freezer. Some of it is just cooked hamburger, sausage or taco meat. We will pull this out and use it for spaghetti, homemade pizza, biscuits and gravy, tacos, etc. I have 4 breakfast casseroles, some pancakes to pop in the toaster, breakfast burritos, 4 dozen biscuits, a yummy chicken enchilada dish, a couple of different hamburger casseroles and some banana bread.
We are trying to eat out of our pantry and cut our grocery bill substantially. Of course, we raise our own pork and beef and thanks to Chris and Dan we have plenty of deer. Next year we hope to put a couple of lambs in the freezer as well. I do buy chicken and the occasional package of hot dogs. I like to buy bologna in bulk. We slice it and freeze it and I also make bologna salad. This is especially nice in the summer when we are busy working outside or need to take a lunch to the field.
Please leave me a comment if you have any recipes you would like to share or tips on OAMC and menu planning! :)

Toaster and Bread Machine Covers

2009-02-26T14:54:00.001-06:00

I have finished the toaster cover and the bread machine cover. Now I need to work on the mixer cover and the food processor cover. I may even have enough material left over for a curtain!

Jessica

2009-02-22T14:32:00.004-06:00

This is Jessica getting some animal crackers from Dan, we think she's adorable, what do you think?! :)

New Sales Blog

2009-02-22T14:26:00.003-06:00

I've decided to have a separate blog for my sheep (and occasionally goats) that I have for sale. You will find a link on the right side of this page. www.redbudlaneshetlandsheepforsale.blogspot.com I hope you will take a minute to check out the nice rams I added today. You will also find pictures of Lilly and Rosie, two bred pygmy does that need to find a good home.

2009-02-16T13:09:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!
I ended up spending my day being sick..:P
We've got some lovely sun today and I'm feeling much better so maybe I'll finally get those ram pics. We'll be shearing in a couple of weeks so I want to get some good pics while they still have their wonderful fleeces on. Be sure and check back later...

Ewes for Sale

2009-02-08T11:34:00.004-06:00

These are the last of the 08 ewe lambs. All are black with varying amounts of white on their heads. All are semi friendly and we are still working on halter training. Nice tails and wool on all three, all are from Windswept Bravo, our awesome Yuglet/Sokket ram. We are asking $200 each for them with a 10% discount if you purchase two and a 15% discount if you purchase all three. If you would like more detailed photos, especially of their fiber, just contact me and I can get those for you. :)

First is Malory, a single born 3/29/08 out of Locksfield McCleady Laine (White).

This is Sophie, a single born 4/2/08 out of Locksfield Serafina (Black).

Last but not least is Celest, a twin born 3/27/08 out of Limpus CeCe. This girl should give you lots of color!

4th Annual Live Nativity

2008-12-16T09:33:00.005-06:00

We just finished up with Palmyra's 4th Annual Live Nativity on December 12, 13 and 14th. We bring our two miniature donkeys, Sasha and Rufus, some of our Shetlands, this year it was Tinkerbell, CeeCee, Mary and Sera, and a couple of goats, this year it was Harley and Charley. Chris, Ben and Matt each took turns being shepherds and my niece, Brittney, took a turn this year too. That's her with our little pygmy wether, Charley. We don't bring the camels, those belong to someone else in another part of the state. The baby is about 6 months old and they were great. Mama was protective so everyone had to keep their distance but they were wonderful to look at. We can't wait to do it all over again next year!

First Snow

2008-11-30T18:40:00.004-06:00

The first snow of the season came last night and today. It was a very wet, heavy snow and so pretty on the trees. Here's just a few pics I snapped this morning.

Turkeys and Pilgrim Hats!

2008-11-26T12:10:00.008-06:00

Ben and Matthew spent Wednesday morning making some fun turkeys and pilgrim hats for our Thanksgiving Day dessert. I'm not sure how many were eaten along the way! lol

Mighty Deer Hunters

2008-11-25T10:22:00.003-06:00

Chris bagged his first buck on opening day, Saturday, November 22, 2008. It was a very nice 9-pointer.
Not to be outdone, my brother brought in a 10-pointer that evening and Dan got a doe. It will be nice to have deer in the freezer again.

Breeding Season

2008-11-05T13:00:00.002-06:00

I am sorry I have been absolutely terrible about keeping up with this blog. Life just keeps getting more and more busy around here.

We did get our breeding groups put together on November 1st, I have 6 groups this year. Next year we plan on keeping it at three.

Opie ended up going to a friend's farm to be used as a ram this year. We traded his services for a pygmy buck and two does. Maizy, who we sold to the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute in Columbia, Missouri earlier this year came back today to be bred to Bravo.

The porches and garage are basically done now, I'll have to post some pics when I get a chance. It's so nice to be able to pull into an attached garage when the weather is bad. :)

Life is busy here at Redbud Lane but oh so very good!

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10

Opie

2008-08-25T20:22:00.004-05:00

This is Opie, a musket bersugget katmoget out of Limpus CeCe and by Windswept Bravo. He looks just his mama! This is him with his mom(NOT for sale) and sis(FOR SALE). He is well-mannered and working hard on his halter training. A wonderful tail, wide horns and soft fleece make him one of my favorites this year. He should give you lots of color and markings. Priced at $300 with a full guarantee on his horns.

Ram Lambs

2008-08-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

I have several really awesome ram lambs out of Bravo this year. I am going to try to get them all listed this week if time permits. If you see one you like and would like more info just let me know!

One wether is sold!

2008-07-03T19:39:00.005-05:00

My little black and white yuglet wether has been sold and is now living in Illinois! He will be part of a young lady's FFA project! I couldn't be happier about where this little guy is going, now, to find just as good a home for his white brother? He has gorgeous fleece and is being offered for $50.

Abby

2008-06-15T13:31:00.002-05:00

This is my youngest niece, Abby. She loves coming to visit her Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dan on the farm but I think she may like the animals more! She made friends with Sunny the goat, Fancy the lamb and all the other sheep on this day.

Happy Father's Day!!!

2008-06-14T22:27:00.004-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Here's a tribute to my funny, hard-working, wonderful dad! Love You, Deb!

Doe kid for sale!

2008-06-14T21:53:00.003-05:00

This is Cocoa Puff. She is a pygmy/toggenberg cross and just as sweet as can be! We have decided to sell her and keep her sister. She is dam raised but very friendly, would make a wonderful pet or family milker. We are only asking $50 for her.

Blue Swedish Ducks

2008-06-11T17:30:00.003-05:00

We have decided to part with our Blue Swedish trio. They are nice ducks but larger than the other breeds we have and the drake is too large for those other females. We are asking $30 for the three of them.

Hummer

2008-06-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

I caught a pic of a male ruby-throated hummingbird perched on our rain guage in the garden last night, thought I'd share.

Lamb Pics

2008-05-29T22:02:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures of our growing babies!

April Showers

2008-04-11T07:46:00.004-05:00

Well, if April showers bring May flowers we will be sitting pretty next month! We had quite a storm roll through yesterday afternoon, dumping lots of rain and a little hail too. We happened to be in the barn when it started. Boy was it loud under that metal roof! Thankfully it ended pretty quickly and no real damage to speak of. We snapped of few pics of the flooding and one of the rainbow too.

New Camera!!!

2008-04-09T16:26:00.004-05:00

I finally got my new camera and I've been having a blast playing with it! Here are some of the pictures I got today. More to come in the near future!

This is Madison with her twin ram lambs.

CeeCee and her bersugget ram and blettet ewe.

Goofy goats!

Our yearling Tiara and her beautiful little ram lamb who wanted to come out backwards and needed some assistance from the vet. These two belong to Ben and Matt's flock.

Another shot of Madison's yuglet, flecket ram.

Xena and Ambrosia

2008-03-29T21:08:00.002-05:00

These are two ewes we've just recently added to our flock. Xena and Ambrosia! They seem to be finding their places within the flock and one of their jobs is babysitting the new lambs. I wish the picture would have been more centered. I reallllly need a new camera! :)

Kids have arrived!

2008-03-28T21:17:00.004-05:00

Our Toggenburg doe finally gave birth today. She was bred to a pygmy buck so we weren't sure what the babies would look like. Well, they are absolutely adorable, all three! They are still wet in this picture but I couldn't wait. The one on the right is a buck and the other two are does. I'll have to get some more pictures now that they are dry. hee hee Mom and babies are doing well, now we are waiting on our Kinder doe who was bred to the same pygmy buck. Not the best picture of me, no make-up and wild hair, but hey, I was so excited that those kids were finally here I didn't care!

Another Set of Twins!

2008-03-28T07:44:00.004-05:00

We left the house for only 2 and a half hours yesterday evening to go visit my parents. We carefully checked with the sheep before we left and they assured us they were fine. When we arrived back home we were surprised to find a beautiful set of twins out of Limpus CeCe and Windswept Bravo. One blettet ewe and one tri-colored bersugget ram. All are doing well this morning. We have three more ewes left to go and our two does, Sunshine (Kinder) and Nellie (Tog), both bred to a pygmy buck.

More Lambs!

2008-03-28T07:37:00.002-05:00

We were blessed with another set of twins on Tuesday, March 25 from CenturyFarm Mary and Windswept Bravo. Two blettet marked rams! I just love the "mutton chops" they seem to have.

First Lambs of 2008

2008-03-28T07:30:00.005-05:00

Here are our first lambs of 2008 and we are off to a great start! Two white ewes out of LostLakeFarm Phoebe and Windswept Bravo. These twins arrived on Wednesday, March 19. Mama and babies are doing fine!

Easter Ducks!

2008-03-20T10:06:00.004-05:00

Here's a pic of our new Easter ducklings we picked up yesterday at a couple of local farm supply stores. We picked out 4 Mallards cause we thought they were adorable with their pretty colors, 2 white pekin cause Matthew just had to have a white duck and then we were lucky enough to find some Khaki Campbells and we took 4 of those for egg production. I'm not sure if there is anything cuter than a baby duck!

Berry Blue Shetland Yarn

2008-02-27T12:41:00.003-06:00

Here's a pic of some Shetland yarn I just finished spinning. I dyed approximately 7 oz of white Shetland roving with 10 packets of flavored drink mix (Berry Blue flavor). It turned out to be a very vibrant turquoise! This yarn is already sold but I'd love to do some up for myself now.

Lambing draws near!

2008-02-27T12:18:00.004-06:00

Well, lambing is just around the corner and we are getting excited here at Redbud Lane! We have two goats expecting too, mmmm, fresh goat milk! We should be seeing babies on the ground in about 2-3 weeks, I hope to have a new camera by then so I can get some really good pics to share with everyone.

I'm Back!

2008-01-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

Well, things have been pretty busy here at Redbud Lane and I sort of got out of the habit of posting to my blog. We have been busy with homeschooling and now I've taken a job 3 days a week at the local paper and became a dealer for Schacht spinning products. I'm still trying to keep up with the housework and spin and get the birdhouse gourds painted and ...... you know how it goes.

Anyway, I'm really going to try and do better about keeping up on here. After all, lambs will be here soon and I want to get their pictures posted.

See you soon!

New Ducklings

2007-08-18T10:30:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture of our fawn and white Indian Runner family. Mama hatched out 5 babies. We still have 2 more mammas sitting on a total of 15 eggs.

Ducklings are here!

2007-08-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

My tomato duck hatched out 4 ducklings this morning and she's still sitting on 4 more eggs. She's very protective of her nest and her babies!

Spinning Demo

2007-07-28T21:52:00.001-05:00

I did a spinning demo today at our local museum in Palmyra, MO. We didn't have a lot of people but it was still fun!

Lovely Fleece

2007-07-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite little lamb born this year. She is a mioget ewe with the most amazing fleece I have ever seen. Her name is Tinkerbell but I usually just call her Tink. She is also the most loving lamb we've ever had. I think she would be just as happy as a house sheep! This little beauty is what Shetlands are all about!

Shade Shelter

2007-07-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the shade shelter Dan made for our sheep. We had one of those portable carports with the white canvas. Well, it made it for a year but the wind beat it up pretty bad. So Dan took it apart and made it one "leg" shorter and stretched some shading material he had for cattle on it. It took them a few days but they finally figured out what it was for! It's nice that they can still stay a little cooler without having to be in the barn.

Our new ram!

2007-07-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

We are so blessed to have added some wonderful genetics to our flock with our new ram, Windswept Bravo! He is a beautiful HST ram and we are really looking forward to his lambs next spring. You may recognize his picture from Bluff Country Shetlands, his last home. Thanks so much Nancy, it was wonderful meeting you! I hope we have a chance to meet again with some time to visit. Bravo is a very well behaved boy and a real pleasure to have on our farm. He is in with his new ram lamb friends and one 2 yo wether and everyone seems to be getting along just fine.

New Kids!

2007-06-19T18:53:00.001-05:00

The new kids are here, goat kids that is! Our 5th generation kinder doe gave us twin bucklings just after dinner today. Aren't they adorable! Mama and babies are all doing great. We will wether them and keep them as pets for ourselves. Now we just need to come up with names for them.

Our new LGD

2007-06-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of our new LGD, SuzyQ! She was born March 31, 2007 to an Anatolian mom and a Great Pyr dad. She is very timid right now but is warming up quickly, especially to the kids. I really think the kittens are her favorite though. lol
Dan got down on the ground to visit with SuzyQ and all the others wanted in on it too. Dan has really gone to the dogs! That's Clooney, Darlin', SuzyQ and our corgi, Ginger.

Airplane Rides

2007-06-09T20:59:00.000-05:00

The boys had an awesome opportunity today. They were given free airplane rides through the EAA Young Eagles Program in Mexico, MO. This was the first time in an airplane for all three of the boys and we were unsure of how they would react. All three of them loved it!!! They can hardly wait for a chance to fly again. Chris is in the backseat, he's got his favorite sunglasses on.

Ben and Matt flew together, Ben is in the front and Matt is in the back.

Budweiser Clydesdales

2007-06-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity today to see the Budweiser Clydesdale. Wow, what amazing animals! They had three of these semis that they hauled the horses, wagon and all of the gear in. Here's a picture of Dan and the boys in front of a couple. Tomorrow we will get to see them in a parade pulling the wagon. I'll try to get some pics of that too.