Rain & Temps In The 60's !!!

Glenda At The Barn

What a change from the freezing weather last weekend!  At Wild Rose Farm, we had temperatures in the high 50's on Saturday and then we were in the mid-60's on Sunday.  Glenda has a sheltered area in the barn, but she was out and about in the rain on Saturday.  She was in the paddock picking around at her hay, then she went out and stood in the rain ....... suit yourself Glenda! 

It Is Freezing Out There!

I just stepped out onto the porch to let the dog out and hadn't put a coat on first ... not the smartest thing to do when it's 23 degrees outside.  But then I noticed the "outhouse" out back and thought, "what is missing from this picture?".  Take a look .......

Wild Rose Farm "Outhouse" In The Moonlight

I'll tell you what is missing ..... a well worn path through the snow from the porch to the door!  Yes, we can be thankful for indoor plumbing.  Obviously, an old farmhouse like this had a real working outhouse at one time.  That's also why some old houses like ours have a large bathroom.  It used to be the smallest bedroom!   Other times, the bathroom is smallish & jammed under the stairway. 
So I grabbed the camera to document the moment .... pretty, but I'm glad that I didn't have to hike outside. The blue Christmas star on the barn reminds us to be thankful for the gifts that we may already have!  ;)

Wild Rose Farm At Old Economy Village!

Wild Rose Farm - Christmas At The Village 2012

Wild Rose Farm will be at Old Economy Village this weekend for the Christmas At The Village  event.  After listening to the weather forecast, it looks like we will have snow on the ground.  The candle lit lanterns along the walkways create a festive atmosphere that really brings out the Christmas spirit!   It's a great place to pick up unique hancrafted & local Christmas gifts and enjoy good food & music. 
Saturday 12/7 from 2PM - 9PM and Sunday 12/8 from 2PM to 7PM ...  maybe I'll see you there!

Oh, and the ram count?  Dorset ram 11 & Rambouillet ram 7 ...... over 1/3 of the ewes in just under a week. 

Thanksgiving Weekend At Wild Rose Farm

Wild Rose Farm Ewes At Dusk Feeding Time

We had a typical Thanksgiving weekend here at Wild Rose Farm.  Those who have been following us know that this is the weekend when we put the rams in with the ewes to kick off the breeding season.  That timing puts our lambing season in late April/early May. 
This year we are using 2 rams.  The first is our new performance tested Dorset ram & he has 30 ewes.  The second is our homebred horned Rambouillet ram.  He has 12 ewes, none of them yearlings because they're all his siblings ..... his dam is also in with the Dorset ram.  We will use him just for this breeding season and then he will be sold.  If you're in the market for a young registered Rambouillet ram, he's your man!   He would also add some fine wool to a commercial flock.
By the time we got done working with the sheep on Friday, it was getting late, as you can see.  The groups are now in 2 different pastures.
Both rams got right down to business and here is "U" below with the the Dorset ram courting along side ..... you can see his harness if you look closely.

Wild Rose Farm Performance Tested Dorset Ram & "U"

Current standings as of Sunday afternoon?  Rambouillet ram six, Dorset ram four. 
We still have the 2 registered Rambouillet & 2 Dorset/Rambouillet x-bred yearling ewes for sale .... they are in with the Dorset ram, so they can be purchased as "exposed or bred" ewes. 
We still have some spring ewe lambs for sale too ...... Christmas is coming!