My First Ewe, Sophie, had two ram lambs on 3/28

Well, Sophie lambed first and gave me two ram lambs: Sam (who I'm bottle feeding due to some intervention from Bud when he wanted to play with the newest lamb) is a white and gray lamb, and Boyd, who is a black lamb. Both are 75% Icelandic and 1/4 Finn and are lovely little boys. They were born in the morning of March 28, so are only 2.5 days old and are as cute as bugs in rugs. I love lambs, and I should make a few pins saying this, don't you think?

Anyway, I also have my 25 pullets aka hen chicks and though I would like it if they started laying very soon, it will be 4-5 months or more before they start. However, my 8 hens started laying as soon as the sun was out more and the days grew longer. I'm getting about 5-8 eggs a day depending on when they're laying. So, I already have 4 dozen eggs and have sold 3 dozen. $2.25 for a dozen and $2.75 for 18, if you bring your own cartons. Otherwise add 50-cents to the cost of the dozen and they're still cheaper than the eggs at the store at
$2.78 and $3.78 depending on whether they're brown eggs or organic. The brown eggs may or not be organic, but the ones with the organic identifier are definitely much more costly. Mine are farm fresh and chemical free (we're been chemical free since we moved here & cannot get the organic identifier for 7 more years if we stay where we are).

All I know is how good the eggs taste and how bright orange the yolks are meaning they have a lot more betacarotenes in them (so lots of A, D, & E). So, I'm a happy camper.

In the last rain we had, we lost all our peach and apricot blossoms, so though they're bare of blossoms, they still look dark pink. The apple and the cherry trees are getting ready to blossom though. All the daffs are in bloom, and not the irises or the roses, but they're coming along as well. Everything else is leafing out so the leaf buds have broken open and I should be getting more of my plants in the mail any day (more everbearing raspberries, hardy kiwi, and other things I ordered but didn't survive). I can hardly wait.

I have some bulbs and more rhubarb to plant also that I picked up or have to transplant. I have two rhubarb plants already showing with lots of leaves and stalks. I'm so hungry for rhubarb and strawberry pie I can almost taste it. The strawberries should be coming in June and then I'll have a steady supply until frost, so I'll have pies all summer. Yes!

I didn't get to go to the High Desert Fiber Festival this year because of feeding Sam. In the first week, I have to feed him every two hours the first day, every 3 hours the second day, every 4 the third, then 3 times a day thereafter, until it's time to start weaning them after two months...then it's 3 bottles a day, then in another month, one bottle a day, so by 4 months, they're weaned, (though they still come for bottles--they don't get them). Besides, they start eating hay solids and grass solids starting after the first week, but don't eat it totally until 3-4 months. Sheep and lambs are amazing. Anyway, I was disappointed I couldn't go to the High Desert thingy, but there's always next year.

So, that's all that happening right now, so I'll keep you updated. I should be having between twins to triplets from Blesa and Madge, Sandy will probably have one or two, and Little Bits (or Bitsy) will probably have one. I just hope I have more ewe lambs or I'll have to butcher a few of the ram lambs (who'll probably wind up being wethers or castrated rams). We'll see how it goes.