Breeding

philosophy & mechanics

Can a Soay shepherd “schedule” when lambs will arrive?  A case study

Can a Soay shepherd “schedule” when lambs will arrive? A case study

This post serves two purposes: to provide an example of trying to time the start of breeding in order to enhance the odds of having at least a couple, and hopefully several, lambings in a very narrow window of time the next spring, and as a fitting ending to the saga of Lamb Camp 2015 […]

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Lamb Camp Day 3:  . . . and the lambs came two by two

Lamb Camp Day 3: . . . and the lambs came two by two

I forgot to mention at the end of my report on Day 2 of Lamb Camp that just before we all turned in for the night, a final trip to the Maternity Ward revealed yet another cute new lamb, still pretty gooey and wobbly. Favoring practicality over husbandry perfection, and confident that the ewe had […]

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Soay Lamb Camp 2015: setting the stage

Soay Lamb Camp 2015: setting the stage

I have an unlikely Soay sheep tale to share with you about a magical three days we just experienced when three utterly delightful women — one from Cleveland, one from Cincinnati, and one from St. Louis — came all the way out to Oregon to share lambing with us for just three days — almost […]

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Telltale signs of Soay rams in rut

Telltale signs of Soay rams in rut

There’s no need to mark your calendar to remind yourself that it’s breeding season for your Soay sheep – the rams will let you know by their appearance and their behavior.  As usual, a few pictures tell the story best. Eight days ago we taped the horns of rams going to new homes this fall, including […]

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Saltmarsh Ranch calling Red Sox dugout, “Our bullpen is ready, is yours?”

Saltmarsh Ranch calling Red Sox dugout, “Our bullpen is ready, is yours?”

It’s post-season in major league baseball and breeding is about to begin on our Soay sheep farm. While the world awaits the (inevitable?) demise of the Cubs, we are pacing (mentally) in the dugout, wondering how our selection of rams to call up from the bull pen will turn out. Will our three British “starters” for our conservation breeding program […]

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View Blocks:  Saving your fence from Soay-bashing in breeding season

View Blocks: Saving your fence from Soay-bashing in breeding season

Perhaps the greatest initial investment a Soay keeper needs make is decent fencing to keep the little darlings home and safe.  Alas, the aesthetics of a run of taught, newly-installed wire fence fastened neatly to precisely aligned, precisely vertical fence posts is of no concern to the rams, especially during rut.  They bash away without […]

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