Winds of Change

Larry

April 7, 1944 - December 8, 2011

Avery's Katahdins aka the GOOD BREEDER!!

Unfortunately, my last post about being careful from whom you purchase sheep cast an unfortunate bad light on my friend Dee Avery, and that was IN NO WAY MY INTENTIONS, so I have removed that post from my blog as it was being percieved wrongly, and just causing too much anxiety!!!  Dee has been nothing but supportive, I purchased an excellent ewe and ram from her, that I am extremely pleased with.  Not only that, I received their registrations papers in very short order :o)

Nooooo, the 6 ewe lambs that I purchased in 2010 were from a very different breeder.....'nuff said.

On a happy note, while doing chores tonight I'm almost positive I can see the little beginnings of an udder on one of the 3 girls I had babysitting my ram :o)  I do believe the young man has been busy!

The Girls

Just a quick picture of some my ewes.  I put in a new bale today....they ate the other one down to only a small tractor bucket full of coarse bits.  Cleaned up where the old bale was and set up a new one......this time on its end.  will see if there is a difference on how they eat this one.  Also bedded their sheds with some new straw on top of the shavings.

*THE* best hay feeder for sheep!

For the last several years, I've been forking hay over the fence to my sheep each day, or putting out a round bale for them to eat free reign.  Last winter was ugly, and free reign, a bale was only lasting them between 7-10 days.   It was a less than successful way to feed sheep, but since I didn't have many of them I just "put up" with the mess it created over the winter months, and cleaned it all up in the spring.  This year I have some nice Katahdin ewes, along with a few of my Barbs and I was determined to make my life easier when it came to chores this winter.  I've been researching feeder ideas, and saw this feeder on a website....... I freely admit I "borrowed" this idea from Premier Sheep Supplies, when I built my round bale hay feeder for my sheep. The only difference is I used hose clamps to join the sections together.    I have to say its been a HUGE success!!  They are now on week 4 of the same bale!!  This first bale was put in on its side, the next one I am going to stand on end and then decide which way works the best.

CONGRATULATIONS

go to Will and Louise!   After competing on Thanksgiving weekend at the Canadian Herding Showcase, Will finished the weekend in 3rd spot in the Started class and 11th overall!!  What a heck of an accomplishment for them in their first year of trialing!  The venue was Thunderbird Show Park, in Langley BC and it was beautifully decorated along with the obstacles which were very innovative :o)

Congratulations to everyone that competed or was involved in the organization!

Shay

Reluctantly I am going to look for a new home for Shay.  She is in season right now, and will be spayed once it is safe to do so.  After that we will be looking for just the right home for her.  Shay is a fun, active, very athletic girl who loves her toys!  She is house trained, crate trained, and loves to ride in vehicles.  She does not take stockdog training pressure well, and so will not make a good cowdog........she will however make one heck of a friend for someone with a very active lifestyle.   Shay will be free to the right home........but it must be the "right" home for her before we will let her go.

Contact me for more information on Shay

Brother Will

Talent runs in the family!

   From this tiny newborn.....

to this adorable pup, who was once called "Shorty"........

Emerged, this exceptionally handsome young man named "Will".

Will, who  is known more formally as L Bar J's Redi and Willing, and his partner who is my sister Louise, entered their very first CKC herding trial in June of this year.   They not only earned their CKC HS title, they also earned a HIT Aussie.......and to cap it all off, they are now sitting at #9 Herding Started  in Canada!   Thats quite an accomplishment for a first time trialer, and we are so very proud of them!! :o)