Re: [Blackbelly] Updates

Sharon, I got it, too. We're busy with our second lambing this year. Just weaned off the first lot...won't do that again. We're building some separate paddocks so the ewes can have a break. Now, I need to sell some nice jr. rams. I got this post from Barb Lee yesterday and she asked me

Re: [Blackbelly] Thanksgiving Dinner

Well guys, That was obviously supposed to go to my buddy in all things sheeps, Barb L.!! VBG I haven't had my coffee yet...too busy doing chores after two days of torrential rain. Well, while we're at it...what is everyone else doing for the Thanksgiving hol?? Beth in soggy Central OR

Re: [Blackbelly] problem with ram horns

Hi all, I totally agree with Barb L. I'm also of the opinion that there are very good, respectable rams out there that sport much better horns. Having naturally cleaned some of our butcher rams' skulls...I would hesitate to trim horns on this 3-year-old ram. I would think it would cut into

Re: [Blackbelly] Jumping Sheep

Jerry, Blackbellies can easily jump 4 feet. If pushed or stressed...maybe more. All of the ones I've ever seen were very athletic! Beth in Central OR - Original Message - From: blueberryfarm [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008

Re: [Blackbelly] Aggresive Ram

Hi Jim, We both feel that your alpha ram will always be alpha; no matter if he is whethered. He is set in his personality and temperament and he is used to commanding respect...from all. We butcher our own sheep and think that might be an option for you...or sell him for someone else to

Re: [Blackbelly] Two Dumb Questions

Hi Barbara, I don't know about the average life span of a Blackbelly...but we have a 14 year-old ewe that is about to lamb!! She is in great shape...wears a blanket and has three special meals a day!! Think she's spoiled??? G As for making cheese...I wouldn't think a blackbelly would have

Re: [Blackbelly] DE dust

John, I mix soaked sugar beet pellets with any of my grain feeds for horses and sheep. It accomplishes the same thing as the oil. I hate to waste money on minerals that they blow out of the feed bowl. Dampening with water will work, too. Beth in Central OR Sierra Luna Blackbellies

Re: [Blackbelly] Elder Ewes

Oh...Cecil...that's an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. Does that mean that we will have ole Julie for many more years?? She was one of the orig ewes from my friend Shirley's flock...I just sorta inherited her!! She's a kick and has me very trained!! G Beth in central OR Sierra Luna

[Blackbelly] Sheep Sale Ads

Hi Carol, I've used the local Craigslist to advertise my sheep for sale. I've also had luck posting a flyer at the local feed stores. Most of them have free bulletin boards for sale ads. I tried an ad in the Thrifty Nickel which cost money to advertise...and I didn't have any response at

Re: [Blackbelly] Protein Requirements of Blackbelly Sheep

David, I'll read the article later, but wanted to let you know how we feed our sheep. We live in the high desert of central OR, by the way. One thing we do know is that our AB sheep do quite well on hay, water, free-choice minerals, free-choice baking soda and a salt block. We had our hay

Re: [Blackbelly] Ram Pasture

Hello John, My rams and ewes/babies are only separated by permanent field fence. As long as there are multiple rams so they can play out their excess energy...it seems to work very well. We have 2 white elec tape placed about 8 inches above the ground around the outside parimeter...but not

Re: [Blackbelly] Ram Pasture - continued

John, You ARE funny!! G I've got 12 yearling rams to trade for Crazy!! And you have to take all 12!! Ha!! G Seriously, I probably won't breed anyone this year. I've got 13 nice new weanlings from this spring. Well, your ole' ram just has a lot of motivation! The ewes must be very

Re: [Blackbelly] Can anyone HELP me with my new Lamb?

Hi Jody, Don't despair...you new little one will just take some patience on your part. If possible, put the goat and lamb in a very small enclosure or stall for a couple of weeks so you can interact with Lammie. I tamed my very first 4 month old ram that way. He lived in the chicken house

Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbellies - Sheep slobbering and shaking whileeating?

Hi, What is in your sheep feed?? It sounds to me like some of your sheep are trying to bloat. Maybe your sheep grain feed is not agreeing with their stomachs. Some of my youngsters did this when they were fed cracked corn as well as their sheep pellets. I quit feeding the cracked corn to

Re: [Blackbelly] Question about old age behavior in sheep

Oops, I hit send too soon. Dayna, Where are you located and what is your weather like now?? We almost lost our old Julie...she was sent to us in with 5 other ewes...with the promise to keep the old gal til she died. We are pretty sure she is 15 this year. She started to act like the sheep

Re: [Blackbelly] Are Blackbellies easy to sell?

Hello Shawna, We raise Am. Blackbellies here in the high desert area of central OR. We sell breeding stock, butcher stock, pet stock, weed control stock and some sheep to the ethnic market during the holidays. We also have had good luck finding and selling sheep for other folks in the area.

Re: [Blackbelly] Question about noisy lamb

Nichole, Welcome, to the world of blackbellies. Your new baby ram might have been weaned the day you purchased him, he may have even been bottle fed...which means he's naturally going to identify with you as his new Mom! Do you know his background?? Is he eating quality hay and drinking

Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Hide Wanted

Hi all, I just received a post from a gal that is looking for a BB hide to buy. We don't have any so thought I'd post her request to the list. I am looking for a summer-coat hide - as dark as possible with BLACK edge lines Contact: Carrie Griffith lak...@crestviewcable.com Thanks, Beth in

Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Hide Wanted

Cathy, Thanks, that's great! Beth Beth, I responded directly to Carrie. I have a few and another out for tanning now that she may like. Cathy LeapN Lambs On Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 12:30 PM, GARLAND STAMPER gstamper97...@msn.com wrote: Hi all, I just received a post from a gal

Re: [Blackbelly] band saw for meat

Hi there, I agree with Julian that a Sawzall works great. But I have even a cheaper way and that is to go to wall-mart or some like store and buy a cheap black and decker jig saw I got mine for less that $20. Then buy a long blade, about 5 inches with about 20 teeth per inch for it. The

Re: [Blackbelly] Ages~How old can they live to?

Jules, We lost our 16 yr old Am. Blackbelly ewe last December. It was sad but she left us with a beautiful daughter that she had at age 15!! We were amazed as we took the old ewe as a favor, thinking she would just die. She didn't...for a couple of years. We had so much fun with her...she

Re: [Blackbelly] The going price for blackbelly sheep

Hi all, We raise Am. Blackbelly sheep and have had pretty good luck selling our stock here in the high desert of central Oregon. For adult breeding quality rams and ewes we ask between $125.00 and $175.00. For youngsters of breeding quality, we ask $90.00 to $125.00. If a buyer buys multiple

[Blackbelly] (no subject)

Curtis, Your Am. Blackbelly sheep should do just fine in an arid climate. We dry lot ours and feed hay, plus a small bit of grain, year round. Beth in Central OR - Original Message - From: Curtis Yeschke cyesc...@peoplepc.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Tuesday,

Re: [Blackbelly] Newbie needs info on rams

Hi Tom, Welcome!! Where do you live in NM?? We have a perfect ram for you...but unfortunately...we moved from NM and now live in central OR. I have raised a lot of rams and have decided that temperament is paramount, followed by conformation and size, followed by a strong libido! G A bad

Re: [Blackbelly] New to list

Peter and Kathy, Welcome! Am. Blackbellies are pretty interesting sheep to raise. Where are you located?? Beth Stamper Sierra Luna Am. Blackbelly Sheep Powell Butte, OR ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage

[Blackbelly] Outcast Sheep???

Hi all, I have a 3 yr old ewe that everyone hates. Anyone have any problems with sheep ganging up on an individual?? She's a runt and interestingly, the other sheep don't like her younger sister, either. I finally had to put her with the weanlings. Thanks, Beth in OR Sierra Luna

Re: [Blackbelly] mirror helps catch a runaway blackbelly

Oh...that is funny!! I'm going to put a mirror in the barn isle and see if my 6 jr ewes are also narcissistic!!! I'll let you guys know. Beth in sunny central OR ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at

Re: [Blackbelly] winter feeding

Hi Tom, We feed orchard grass hay all year long. We had it tested and found out it's nutritious enough to maintain the adult sheep. For pregnant ewes and youngsters, we add a little bit of 4-way sweet feed with some rice bran in it. Their coats are lustrous and the little bit of copper

Re: [Blackbelly] welcome Dave

Hello Dave, Welcome! Lots of info and experienced folks here. Where are you located?? We raise Am. Blackbellies in the high desert of central OR. Beth Sierra Luna Powell Butte, OR ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the

[Blackbelly] Blackbellies VS Wool sheep

Well, this is a deep subject!! G If you like wooly lamb meat, then you will find the Blackbelly lamb very tasty, mild and tender. If you don't like wooly lamb...then you might like Blackbelly lamb anyway...it doesn't taste gamey at all or however you would describe wool lamb meat.

Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbellies VS Wool sheep

Well, Dave,...hubby, Garland, thought it couldn't be any more difficult than a deer...and the local locker butchers wanted way too much money...and...we wanted the kill to be humane...and Garland is an expert shot. All of those things led to butchering our own and it's worked well for us.

[Blackbelly] Butchering sheep

Hi Dave, You're right about the equip...pretty basic stuff. As for the wrap...we've had great success double wrapping cuts of meat. First in saran wrap and then in white butcher paper. Beth in snowy central OR Beth, Thanks for the reply, I looked it up on the internet and it doesn't

Re: [Blackbelly] Training cutting horses

Hi John, We sold 5 adult ewes to a gal in OR for her to use to train her cutting horses...she thought BB's would be simpler to house than calves. Well...I don't know if it was because our sheep are semi-tame or what...but pretty quickly, the ewes wouldn't move...just stood there or walked up

Re: [Blackbelly] what to do about an aggressive ram?

Hello Bob, I have the same situation here. For the first time ever, our 2 yr old ram is also very aggressive and he has come at me one time too many. He is going into the freezer this week. He's beautiful, has fulfilled his job and I truly love him...but...I won't have a ram on the place

Re: [Blackbelly] what to do about an aggressive ram?

Bob, About pregnant ewes: best thing is to watch their udders. If they begin to enlarge or bag up...then they are surely bred. Beth ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at

Re: [Blackbelly] pregnancy

Rick, Yes, you're exactly right, some time in the last week to 10 days. Since vet bills are so high, it's not feasible to ultrasound the ewes or preg check them like they do the cows. This year, we know exactly when to expect lambs so we'll just watch and wait. If you run a wild flock like we

Re: [Blackbelly] test message

Seems fine. Beth ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info

Re: [Blackbelly] test message double post

Cecil...40 more ewes to lamb??? Wow! That's a lot of babies. Beth ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info

Re: [Blackbelly] Lame Ram

Tom, Check his hoof...are there an breaks or tears?? How about between his toes?? Sometimes mud gets packed in there and blocks the glands in between toes. If his legs structures are ok...maybe he just pulled muscles or tendons?? Let us know if you figure it out. Beth in OR

Re: [Blackbelly] Must be spring

Peter and Kathy, I really enjoy your updates. Glad spring is finally appearing your way. We go back and forth...spring...then snow...then 22 degs, then 67 degs... Be careful what you wish for...silent blackbellies are a blessing...if you really need to hear one non-stop...I'll lend Frosty to

[Blackbelly] Sierra Luna Blackbellies

Hi all, I wanted to see of this would work. This is a link to my Facebook sheep album. There is a new pic of the triplets and some random old pics, too. Also, Sierra Luna Duncan is pictured several times, a 15 month old very nice breeding ram prospect that I'm selling. He's quite

Re: [Blackbelly] Sierra Luna Blackbellies

Carol, Thank you so much! My sheep and all the animals, actually, are so photogenic. I try to carry my small camera with me all the time. Willow's single ram, Wyatt, is a character...always into something...he's a great subject. Thanks for the tip, also. Beth

Re: [Blackbelly] New to group

Hi Liz, Welcome. I wish you lived closer or we were headed to Co...I have some beautiful breeding stock that will be available. Blackbellies are a lot of fun...that is unless you have the triplets that we now have. Mom has decided that she can only count to TWO...thus the tiny lamb in the

[Blackbelly] Bottle lambs

Cecil Did you whether your bottle rams?? If so, how old?? The playpen sounds like a good idea. I just got a call from a gal that bought two of our young ewes. She raised a bottle baby before so she wants the little rejected guy. Whew! He should have a great life with her family on a

Re: [Blackbelly] selenium map

Liz, What a great resource. Thanks! Beth ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info

Re: [Blackbelly] bottle lamb stopped taking her bottle this morning

Shawna, What exactly was in her bottle feed??? We found that our bottle baby liked two bottles...one with diluted nutradrench (about a tsp of nutradrench to a couple of ounces of water) and then his milk replacer. Lambs can be lazy...the nutradrench gave him some liquid + some energy and

Re: [Blackbelly] Solar lawnmower update

Peter, Our flock of ewes has been very slow in shedding this year, too, for the first time. It has been a very cold, wet late spring here in central OR. It hailed on us yesterday and we've yet to hit 80 degs. Very unusual. Tonight it's supposed to drop to 36 deg. Geeze. Glad you enjoy the

Re: [Blackbelly] New Here!

Welcome, Sounds like you are going to have quite an adventure with your new ranch. What town in NE WA will you be near?? Garland and I started raising horned, blackbelly sheep about 5 years ago. Although we have had horses for years, we'd never owned a sheep of any kind and got into Am.

Re: [Blackbelly] Ram lamb's graduation day

Michael, That was fun to watch and see. We did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Our ram lambs made far more noise than their mothers...in fact, I think the moms were purposely keeping quiet!! G They get tired of the ram lambs when they grow horns. Today we sold two really nice ewes to

Re: [Blackbelly] (no subject)

Carol, What immediately comes to mind is too much protein in the diet, unless there is a disease present. Can we find out what the ewe has been eating?? Sorry to hear that a beloved pet sheep is in trouble. Beth in OR Help! My 7-yr-old ewe has been in the (Vet) Hosp. for a week having

Re: [Blackbelly] Lin's ewe

Lin, I hope you are reading this. What I would do is get some Nutra-Drench solution, dilute it by 1/2 with water, put it in a baby bottle and teach her to take the liquid by hand. It's the only way to get electrolytes into her so she can recover. Don't feed any alfalfa...see if she will eat

Re: [Blackbelly] IVY- UPDATE

Lin, Glad to hear Ivy is still fighting to stay alive. I don't recall, but do you keep baking soda available to your sheep?? We keep a small wall feeder of free-choice feed grade baking soda in one side and sheep minerals in the other side. Our sheep routinely lick some baking soda after

Re: [blackbelly] New baby

Brad and Aimee Andrews wrote: WOW we finally had our 1st Black Belly baby (not sure of gender yet). T. Now that we have a baby I need some advice When should I turn them out to the pasture. Brad, I'm glad the ewe and lamb are doing well. I understand how hard it can be to round up the

Re: [blackbelly] Aggressive Rams

The Wintermutes wrote: Hi again Elizabeth, Don't assume the majority of Blackbelly rams are aggressive. The aggressive rams just give everybody something to talk about! Hi all, This is an interesting topic. I have 3 jr rams...the lead ram, Andy, is 2 yrs old, the other two are

Re: [blackbelly] butchering our Ram

Hi Elizabeth, I do my own slaughterting and butchering and the job is not to hard. I know you say you don't want to do it yourself but the kill cost seems high to me. Do you have any friends that are deer hunters? If so see if they might be willing to do the job for part of the meat. 22

Re: [blackbelly] Spammer? Phisher?

Oh yea, we got that and it went right to the junk mail box. What I need is someone down the road from me wanting to buy that many. Garland in OR. ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at

Re: [blackbelly] Farm Logo

MARK STOREY wrote: Recently we had logos embroidered on shirts for our ranch Foley Peak and my brothers ranch Storey Ohana Ranch by Judy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Judy is a Blackbelly sheep owner and Hi Mark How about some pictures?? Does she have a website?? Sounds fun! Beth Stamper Sierra

Re: [blackbelly] Blackbelly sheep, etc.

DANA CLICKENGER wrote: I live in Southern Idaho and currently have 4 Blackbelly's. I have read that they are not grown comercially due to their slow growth weight and since they are hair sheep, fiber is out as well. Are most of you raising them as a hobby? Hi Dana, We, too, raise Am.

Re: [blackbelly] Do we have to have a ram?

Hi Eileen, We are very new to the sheep business have one dumb question. Do we have to keep a ram? You don't have to keep a ram but in my experience of only a couple of years of raising Am. blackbellies...I have to say I have really enjoyed the antics of the rams. I started out with

Re: [blackbelly] sheep eating the barn

Cecil Bearden wrote: Sounds like they need salt or mineral. Cecil, I agree. But...mine do have free access to salt and minerals. The baby lambs love to teeth on my barn so a little spray of halt cribbing deters them. I have a beautiful wooden barn...I don't want it eaten by anyone. I