Valais at Plumpys Peaceful Pastures
Where we started
Before any barns or fences April 2021
Our first portable shed row barn
The Scottish Blackface ewe lambs arrived at 3 months old, May 2021
Scottish Blackface ewe lambs will not come in the new barn yet.
Everything was brand new
Rich installing lights
The scotties are grazing
Ina with Rich
June 2021 the grass has came in nicely in the main paddock
The girls are grazing
This is Dorothy
Bernice
Ina
The scottie girls are getting bigger. They finally came in the barn after a few weeks.
We are installing more fencing
My first shearing experience
Claire
Florence
The girls get their first coats for the fall
grazing in their coats
Dec 2021 the girls go to Reproductive Speciality group in Lebanon for their first LAP AI.
We meet some new breeders at RSG . Star Lazarus & Diane Squibb
Jan 2022 watching the girls on the camera from Florida
I am enjoying time in the barn with Claire
They are enjoying their dinner
The 3 girls that went to RSG are all pregnant . 100% success rate on the LAP AI .
Lambing pens are set up
Our first F1 lambs are born . This is Claire with her F1 ewe lamb we named Jariana . Sired by Strathadeen Alexander
Me holding Juno F1 whether born to Florence .Sired by Strathadeen Alexander
Rich holding Juno F1 wether
Juki F1 whether born to Bernice .Sire Strathadeen Alexander
Jariana, Juno & Juki at a few weeks old
Rich hanging out with Juno one month old
The F1 lambs on the right looking at the camera at 2.5 months , grazing with their momma’s
Juki on the left front , Jariana right back laying together at 2.5 months
July 2022 ( 1 week before we leave for the UK trip ) We found Jariana tangled in a split tree hanging by her front leg . This started very long recovery for Jariana at Purdue University as they would end up doing 3 surgeries to repair her and keeping her the month we were in the UK. Split trees are lamb traps.
Jariana in recovery at Purdue after the second surgery . The first one fell apart in recovery the next morning
The surgical repair that broke apart
Jariana coming home after 3 surgeries and 1 month at purdue. She has a long recovery ahead of her.
Jariana a few months later . She healed with the injured leg about 1 inch shorter but runs and keeps up with the rest of the flock. Jariana went on to provide us with twin F2’s and she is still doing great today. She was a great mother. She remains on our farm as a breeding ewe.
My photo session with the scottie’s and their lambs.
Claire with Florence ( both SBF )
October 2022 after our first set of lambs we have already outgrown the little shed row barn. Graber Post buildings in Odon , IN , wonderful amish builders , are building us a bigger barn. They are never big enough
Barn is going up
We purchased our first recip ewes from RSG. We purchased our first frozen Purebred Valais Blacknose embryos and had them implanted at RSG. The recip on the right was carrying twins. We implanted 4 embryos . 2 took and we brought the other recip home as a companion . We have them in the new barn to quarantine them .
The next morning when I went into the barn , the sheep jumped through the brand new barn windows into the areas outside the fences. This was a big ordeal as these recips were wild , out of the fenced in area, carrying expensive embryos and headed for the road.
We had the windows replaced and added bars
Back at RSG for LAP AI on our Scotties with Dr. Logan
RSG with our Scotties for LAP AI
Meeting Valais breeders that day from different states . Pictured from left to right:
Rob Lyerla , Mike Zebolksky, Diane Squibb, Kelly Weddle, Rich Weddle, Angie Murray, Joel Squibb.
Pictured front sitting Kelly Weddle .
Back row left to right : Allison May, Rich Weddle, Diane Squibb, Joel Squibb
Do you see the sperm on the top of the tree ? Funny
Enjoying the new barn
The sheep are haltered . The windows are covered to not spook the new recips
Watching the sheep at night on the barn cameras
I worked for 2 months to train the new recips . Just in time for the arrival of our first purebred Valais Blacknose twin lambs . Klover ( ewe lamb ) Kipply ( ram lamb )
Our first Valais Blacknose Purebreds born on our farm from frozen embryos.
Kelly holding Klover the next morning after a shower and some rest from being in the barn all night long
Kipply under the heat lamp
Kipply & Klover