Hercules

Hercules has come home and is fitting right in. He is in the dog kennel right now as he is too small for his pen. So he has a nice size pen and a dog house for comfort. He was not very friendly when I got him home and wanted to sample my fingers. But today I sat with him for awhile and he let me pet him as he ate. So he will be just fine I think.

Hercules

I have finally found a hubby for Luu the pig. He is a Hampshire cross and from a very nice farm near Reed City. I will get to pick him up on October 30th. Although he will only be 6 weeks old he will be the "man" come this spring and ready to sire little piglets with Luu.

825c3f89-3a9c-4826-b353-32473c85d3a3

1.03.01

Update ! Welcome Evan Almighty, Sir Lancelot and Conean !

I cannot believe that it has been so long since I have updated my blog ! Time sure does move fast when the days are sunny and long. Now that they are winding down and harvest is upon us here I am again.
I have been so busy this summer, gardening, shearing, working and taking care of all of these creatures that time has escaped me.
My sheep herd and I did well at the fair this year ! I am moving into a new breed that I absolutely LOVE !! Blue Faced Leicesters ! the fiber is to die for and I love their dispositions. I have a lovely natural colored ram and two white ewes to start my purebred flock and then I am crossing the ram on my two Border Leicesters, my Shetlands and a couple of crosses that I have. So next spring lets just see what we have created in the fiber world !
On a sad note I lost my first and most favorite angora goat, Bruce Almighty to a urinary blockage. he is missed terribly and can never be replaced as he was a goat that never knew he was a goat ! On a better note I recently brought home three new little goaties and one is Bruce's nephew. Their pics are above. Welcome to the menagerie boys !

Sad Day

Our latest cria, Bella, was injured in the pasture and passed away yesterday. Do not really know what happened but this is indeed a very sad day. She was a cria long waited for as her dam had not gotten pregnant in four years. She will be greatly missed.

Newest Addition !

Our latest addition came one week after the last one. This cria is a beautiful steel grey with black points and may also be suri, yaaahhhh ! That would be a plus. Only one more to go.
LUA Bravado's Bring It ON x LUA Lady Liberty

Newest Addition-Surprise Addition !

Well, well, well a baby cria unexpected and unannounced arrived on Saturday, May 8. Did not know mom was still pregnant. We had made a big move this past fall and we had thought that she and another momma llama had miscarried.
So into the world pops this little girl 3 weeks early and still weighing 26+ pounds. She is doing great, down in her pasterns still but running around and nursing good. Thank goodness momma had milk !
Have a sweater on her due to Michigan weather !!
And with no further adu: RWAY Bring It On Windstorm
(named as such as she was born during a bad windstorm)

LUA Bravado's Bring It On x DDH's Rosa Del Desierto

Lambs that are coming to Ryan's Way

(Ally)

(Melody)

We have been keeping very busy here at Ryan's Way. All of the goats are sheared, vaccinated, wormed and trimmed. Now I am starting on sheep and llamas. The lambs are growing very fast, the Shetland Romney cross are just beautiful and I look forward to showing all of my lambs at the county fair this year in July.

I am loving the look and feel of the Leicester world. I have two Border leicester ewes and then two Border/BFL crosses that are just yummy. I am arranging for two Blue Faced Leicester ewe lambs and then a natural colored BFL ram to come stay with us in May. I love the crimp and feel of this fiber and cannot wait to try some new blendings.

The two lambs pictured above are Melody and Ally, BFL.

Lambs for Sale

Keeping this little ewe. She is 1/2 Shetland 1/2 Romney

Left Shetland Ram-Right 1/2 Shetland 1/2 Romney Ram. Both for Sale

1/2 Border 1/2 Blue Faced Leicester Ram. He is for sale

Border Leicester Ewe- babies are 1/2 Blue Faced and 1/2 Border Leicester

A Winter Update

This is what Luu looks like and about this size, this is a borrowed picture not actually her as my camera is still broke

I have been battling the snow drifts to haul hay and water this past week. But I would rather have snow than ice any day.

Been teaching Luu the pig to sit and play dead. She is getting quite good at this. Luu is a Hampshire sow that I bought from the fair when she was a month old. Now she is pushing 200 pounds and is 5 months old. She is rotten, plain spoiled rotten. LOVES attention and we are starting to play tag. I do not plan on butchering her as she is my pet but I do plan on breeding her and then selling babies to FFA and 4-H members. Of course my husband says that some day she will knock me on my butt and then eat me, I know she will probably knock me on my butt but I am hoping the eating part does not happen.

Had a couple of my rams made into sausage, hunters links as they call them, Very tasty I think I like that better than summer sausage.

Have some yummy Mohair and romney wool that will be available at the spinners flock meeting in Chelsea, plus bringing sausage also. Will be a fun meeting !

There are new sheep in town !

These are not the actual sheep. It is a picture I borrowed from a UK Border Leicester website. But I have two ewes coming home tomorrow that look like this and they are bred to a Blue Faced Leicester so I am anxiously awaiting the new arrivals so I can see what a wonderful fleecy combination that will be.
Look at those ears, are they not the cutest thing ever !
Going to the Chelsea Spinnersflock meeting February 13th and have some yummy dyed Mohair in several colors plus some very nice Romney fleece from Bubba. If I don't get any buyers then I will throw a bag together of all sorts of colors and get it processed into roving to see what I can come up with !!

I need your Vote !!

Hi All,

I have come across a grant opportunity through Pepsi. I have applied and my project is titled "Fiber, Food and Family". This grant opportunity will enable me to construct a small building on my farm to house educational presentations and fiber art projects to do with the community. I am trying to bridge the gap between family and farming, whatever type of farming you do from fiber to food products.
These grants are awarded based on public vote.

February 1, 2010 will open voting.... go to- www.refresheverything.com
Look for Fiber, Food and Family and place your vote !!!

Thank you in advance for your support !!

Mohair !

The dye pots are going ! I have Mohair that is pink on silver and white, spruce on grey, yellow on white, golden yellow on white and teal on white. Yummy !

I am trying to be good and concentrate on writing a proposal for work but the weather is so mild and the sheep and goats are running around and playing as I watch out of the window it is hard to concentrate.

Will also be harvesting some Angora soon in a variety of shades.

Looking forward to adding Border Leicester and Blue Faced Leicester sheep to my herd. What fun that will be.

Must go stir the pot !!

Ryan Musings

Hi All,

I am sitting here looking out at this snow covered world and thinking about the future and all of the plans I have for this spring and summer.

I have started shearing my Romneys and they appreciated it very much. It is the middle of winter and they have 4-6 inches on them that is so thick when I put my hand in the wool (to warm my hands) they are hot ! So I am hand shearing thus leaving on about an inch of fiber.

As I am shearing, (such a professional way to do it: Sheep tied to gate, Robin sitting on a bucket with a garbage bag to put wool in. Got the picture) Bruce Almighty (my first Angora Goat) has to visit. When I smack him away from rubbing his horns all over my back, he goes for the cell phone. After he is told many times that the cell is off limits, he grabs a mouth full of MY hair and pulls me off of the bucket. " Get the point" he says. He is one of the more spoiled ones around here.

This summer I am hoping to hold a fiber event in my lot by the road that was left out from pasture for just this purpose. My plans are to have some vendors, some educational demos and then some area for petting some of the animals, we will see. First I have to see about the big one and that is liability insurance.

My plans are today to dye some Mohair..............hhmmmm what colors can I come up with next !!

Take care all..........................

Creating New Jobs !

Winter News

Snow, snow, snow, winter is here with a Bang! We are settling nicely into the farm and I am lovin' it very much. The holidays came and went and were nicely spent. We are still trying to sell the house in Waldron and have decided to close it down for the winter. Too much heat bills to handle with two houses.

The animals are doing well and it looks like the first lambs will be making an appearance next month. Too soon for me I like spring lambs but the ewes had a different idea this year.

Had a scare last night with a llama choking, one of my best females and pregnant to boot decided to spit an another as she was eating and inhaled a bunch of grain. After the process of rubbing her neck (did not help), her foaming at the mouth, looked like the exorcist all over again. I ran into the house and got the calf tubing kit and proceeded to shove the tube down her throat about three foot- four times before dislodging her blockage. Must say scared the heck out of us both. She is not a llama that likes to be handled and when she just stood there and let me do this while looking at me with those big eyes, that about killed me.

The llama is good this morning and hopefully we will have no more incidents like that.

I will be shearing in February as long as we don't have any bad cold snaps so will have shetland and romney fiber, yummy!

Will be making some more rugs such as the one pictured above............................

Take care all