Jester finally gets his haircut

We have been so busy. I finally got all the angora goats hand sheared and tackled the alpaca. My nubian, stella is due any minute.. I can't wait, it is my first kid.. although I believe 3 of the angoras are expecting late next month.

The chickens are just taking over. LOL.. About 2 months ago ever Marans in the place refused to lay an egg, I still don't know why.. but they are slowely starting to lay again.. we are getting about 5 eggs a day (out of 24 hens).

The veggies are in and growing... the hosta are award winning this year.. we brought home 11 ribbons from the 2009 midwest hosta convention this year.. yipeee...

Life is SO good on the farmette!

And you've got to see his head shot...

Isn't he sweet?

Sounds like paradise! Even with the chicken take over. LOL

Great job! What a darling face.. looks snuggly soft!

Congratulations on the Hosta! I have a few and they are amazing this year here too. One is a huge one that has a white bloom. A friend from NY gave it to me and it's managed to survive for the 3rd year now!

How adorable.

Oh my gosh look at him!!! He's gorgeous! You did a fabulous job on the shearing Frans! Congratulations. What a beautiful face.

Thank you all for the nice words..

We came home to find 2 llama in our yard.. and a neighbor guarding them from getting out on the road.. what a helpful guy right... only problem was.. we don't have any llama, lol
Ends up some neighbors a couple miles up the road have some new llama and they escaped and came down to visit our place, with no chance of going back home cuz George wouldn't let them leave.

All's well with a little feed, trapped in the pasture and luckily the young owner happened by and wondered why his llama were here. LOL

too funny!! good way to acquire cheap livestock...hmmm.

{{she's got the neighbors well trained doesn't she?!}}

Frans, what kind of clippers/comb/cutter do you use to shear, and how do you shear him - with him standing up or lying down?

Oh my gosh that's hilarious Fran! Your neighbor was holding someone else's llamas hostage on your farm! Were they nice llamas?

Gallesfarm - I thought I'd answer too - we used hand shears (not clippers) on all our llamas and sheared two lying down (because they chose to do so) and the other 3 standing. One we had to hobble on her back legs because she was very unhappy with the shearing process. We hope to have a shearing stand for next year for them. We saw a good one at a show and we'd like one like that.

as Claire well knows it is not that hard to aquire someone elses livestock. Had a call today, a woman has to find a home for her cheviot sheep.. get this, her horse loves it.. he will NOT giddy-up and go unless the sheep goes first.. LOL.. they are bonded and he refuses to move without her, so shes looking for a home... whats one more mouth..

we sheared jester using regular scissors, then my sis sent 3-1/2" shearing scissors, so we switched to them.. cut a nice barrel cut while he was standing.. moved on to his neck and he was a little skittish so hobbled his back legs also and laid him down and switched to my oyster A-5 with a 7f blade and did his neck and legs then cleaned up his neck.

I saved all his short fluffies for my daughter.. she felts pictures she draws and was thinking of doing a few small animals... I am thinking some pin cushions might be nice.

Ooooh, cheviot fleece! Way to go!

WHAT A GORGEOUS ANIMAL: Makes ya want to reach through the screen and hug him. Haystack

oh hay.. you got your name back!!!

You are right about the hug.. and he makes this grunty groan when you hug him that just says it all.. ..

Well what he's probably saying is.."please let go of my neck.." but we pretend he's groaning in glee!

Is he fairly easy to handle? I would like to get some alpacas someday and am trying to acquire info, in case you couldn't tell. ;-) Alpacas and llamas are two critters I can't seem to "read", but I've only really seen them at fiber fests and such. They just seem to be sort of "out there" in their own world. We saw one alpaca at a fiber fest that I swear was communicating with its mother ship. You should have seen the ears! ;-D

That was to funny Galles, (mother ship) LOL

Yes Fran I finally got my name back!! I never knew a face could be so cute, I think a lot of it is in how you sheared him and left the hair on his forehead. I love that face. I love it so much I printed it for my wall. Thanks Fran. I printed it on picture stock and am goin to frame it. Haystack

awwe, I'm gonna tell him tomorrow morning hay... Jesters hangin on someone elses wall.. hehe! We best be careful, it might go to his head.

And YES.. his ears are like radar.. they twist in about every direction..

He doesn't like to be handled much, but once you slip your hand under the face part of his harness and talk softly to him, he seems to calm down and know you and he are the only two alive.. anyone else can do anything to him, including trim his toes.. as long as you speak sweet nothings and let him talk and grut back at you.

He is not much for treats out of your hand, or I haven't found that magic one yet.. thats the hastle of aquiring older farm animals.. you have to learn their quirks instead of helping warp them in your own way.

Hey, I found the picture of the one communicating with the mother ship. :)

It was hard to actually get a picture that was mostly in focus because it kept moving, looking around, getting hay from the hay bag, etc.

Notice though the tufts of hair coming out sideways from the ears. I think this feature helps increase reception. :-D

Priceless!! LOLOL. But it makes my ears tickle to look at!!

heh, heh, heh. The tribbles' less reproductive, larger cousin--fribble?