Whitefish Bay Farm - Door County, Wisconsin

Door County, WisconsinSHEEP ALBUM









The following pictures briefly trace a year with the sheep at Whitefish Bay Farm.


Late winter is largely spent in the barn, where food is plentiful. Pregnant ewes have the best available nuitition as shearing, and then lambing, is very near.

Shearing usually takes place in late February. Dave, our shearer, takes great care to assure that the fleeces come off cleanly, all the while treating the pregnant ewes gently and with minimal stress.



Once shearing is finished, lambing begins within two to three weeks. All the pregnant ewes will deliver their lambs over a period of about 4 weeks.

 

                   
Above are a couple of new born lambs. The multi-colored lamb is a little over a week old, while the white lamb is just a couple of days old.







The bonds between the ewes and their new born lambs are usually exceedingly close and often remain year after year.


Within a couple of weeks the ewes and their lambs are joining other family groups in mixing pens in the barn. By now everyone is eagerly waiting the flush of green growth on the pastures.



Nothing can be finer than a warm early spring day, knee deep in green grass!


As summer progresses, the lambs grow rapidly. By early July the ram lambs are mature enough that they need to be separated from the ewes and ewe lambs. Like many farm boys they find it interesting to check out the tractors.


Meanwhile, out on one of the main pastures the Ewe Council discusses grazing options with the shepherd and wonder when the next group of their adoring fans will appear.





Grazing quickly becomes serious business for all the lambs.



As the summer progresses, the pastures grow more quickly than the sheep can eat. The excess hay is cut, baled and stored in the barn for next winter's feed.

By fall it is again time to think about breeding. The rams and ewes need no reminding. Each ram is given his own group of ewes to squire. The ram wears a harness that holds a crayon. When a ewe is bred the crayon leaves its mark. The rams and ewes are usually together in their groups for just over a month.

Fall is in full color at the beginning of the breeding season. Here are two breeding groups, each in their own pasture, strategically separated from each other by multiple electric fences.
By November the leaves have fallen, temperatures are dropping and breeding will soon be completed. Soon the ewes will be re-united in one large flock and the rams return to bachelor quarters. Another year will commence.



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Whitefish Bay Farm
3831 Clark Lake Road (County WD)
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 54235
920-743-1560

fleeces@whitefishbayfarm.com


© All Rights Reserved Whitefish Bay Farm - Last Updated Monday, 5 January 2009