Observations after Hoof Trimming, De-worming, Ear-Tagging

1. A sheepdog is invaluable. In less than a minute, Caeli had the sheep rounded up and in the stall.

2. Our sheep are fat. I ponder how this happens when our pastures look sparse after a drought year.

3. Twenty-two sheep = 176 nails to trim. Remember sheep are animals with cloven hooves.

4. Hoof growth varies. Some hooves were so long they bent over the pad. Others barely needed a snip.

5. My hamstrings are sore. Sheep are not ergonomically designed for hoof trimming.

6. I wish a Border collie could be trained to trim sheep hooves.

7. A mother's behavior often predicts the behavior of the offspring. We have a family line of stompers and another of high-headed, runners.

8. A mother's build often predicts that of the offspring. We have quite the contingent of Choco-Butt Linebackers. They're our Solid Girls.

9. Throwbacks happen. Where did the Bob Marley ewe get her size and build? She stands three inches taller than any other sheep on the farm.

10. I'd rather give shots than punch ear tags. Yes, hard to believe for a needle-phobe.

11. Lambs change. A set of ewe lambs I didn't give much of a look at when born (their mom's the high-headed runner) are two of my best-looking lambs at age six months.

12. An afternoon spent in the sheep barn gives me lots of time to ponder farm life.