Desert Weyr Blog
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Shop Construction Update
On Thursday, the construction crew got the back section of the shop covered. All of the plywood and underlayment were installed. Things went really fast. The back overhang into the orchard pasture is going to make a nice shelter for sheep in summer. All the doors and windows arrived on Thursday as well. They will… Continue reading
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Sheep Sorting and Dewormer
Yesterday, we got all the ewes sorted into their secondary breeding groups. We also got their fall/winter worming done. We have to deworm with ivermectin drench after a hard freeze to kill the nose bots that infest the sheep. Well, we had a cold snap, then warm weather, and there was a hatch of flies,… Continue reading
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More Bread
For Christmas, we spent the entire day baking the bread we started on Christmas Eve. We made some changes to the Cooks Illustrated No-Knead Bread recipe. The basic recipe is as follows: 15 ounces of flour (weighed) or 3 cups1/4 teaspoon yeast1 1/2 teaspoons table salt3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons… Continue reading
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White Christmas
It’s Christmas day, and we’ve got a white Christmas for sure. The little rams are enjoying the snow. We also got a visit from the Christmas turkeys. They are a lot bigger than when we saw them last. Winnie and Becky are doing well guarding the perimeter of the pens. Continue reading
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Dried In
The construction crew worked really hard to get the new shop in the dry before the Christmas break. Not only is all the plywood done, but the underlayment is in place, too. All that’s left is the metal roof, but that can wait as long as six months if it has to. The underlayment is… Continue reading
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The Solstice Invasion
It’s not quite the solstice, but the celebration will last at least until then. All 11 new rams – three adults and eight ram lambs – are now legally landed citizens of Canada. They cleared the border at 6 PM and are now on their way to their temporary quarters before disbursing to their new… Continue reading
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Sheep, at the Border
I have secondhand news that the sheep have arrived at the border. Lois is not yet across, and there are very long lines in both directions. We’re not sure yet whether she’ll load up and try to come back later tonight, or whether she’ll stay overnight in MT with the sheep. Continue reading
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Sheep, on the Road Again
As of 7 AM on Thursday morning, the sheep officially made it to Butte, MT, and are headed towards the border. They should arrive by 1 PM or so. Lois is meeting them at Sweetgrass and will hopefully be able to cross the border before the end of the day. Continue reading
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Sheep, Stuck
As of this morning, the Canada-bound sheep are stuck in Bountiful, Utah, where the hauler has broken down with a blown transmission. Lois may be driving down to Utah to pick them up. We won’t know more until we hear whether the rebuilt transmission that was ordered arrives and gets installed. It looks like it… Continue reading
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Sheep, Shipped!
Some of you know that I’ve been working for several years to document and register all Canadian purebred Black Welsh Mountain sheep. Once things really started to get underway, I realized how critical they were genetically. They’re in a precarious situation in terms of numbers and bloodlines. About four years ago, I started working to… Continue reading