GRannie Rambouillets & Johnstone Farm Border Cheviots

06/01/2026

These puppies are looking for new homes in mid June. 7/8 Great Pyrenees 1/8 Kangle. Working parents.

05/28/2026

This is the system we have used for lambing our Rambouillets since 1995. Often the first move leaving the ewes with lambs behind happens around day 3 or 4. After that it is daily moves. When the youngest lambs in a group are 5 days old we combine them with an older group. This has worked well for us

During 2026 lambing (on pasture), moving the flock at least once daily allowed us to continually leave behind ewes with new lambs. We had not done this previously, did not anticipate doing this this year, and only became intentional about it some days into lambing.

The opportunities created should have been obvious, and are no surprise to many. But we had not realized how convenient it was to have ewes with lambs (greater than 1-day old) separated from the lambing heavy-breds.

While moving the heavy-breds on ahead daily, we left behind ewes with their lambs that had been born that day, and drifted those sets toward central areas that the heavy-breds never touched (as a group).

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Three benefits:

1) It was immensely easier both to monitor and to move the heavy-breds. We had far greater flexibility to move them through pasture connections made tricky by topography or gates, without lambs getting left behind en masse.

2) After 20 days of lambing, we could move the group of ewes with lambs off-farm to adjacent leased ground that is lacking permanent infrastructure, while keeping ewes who had not lambed closer to home. While grass on the homeplace had not recovered adequately for a second pass by the *full* flock, holding the very small number of remaining heavy-breds would not meaningfully set back the fast-recovering spring flush.

3) Because the heavy-breds were consuming so little grass after day 12 (as a shrinking group, and by acreage), we were able to keep them much closer to the central facilities from days 9 through 21, instead of blowing through & past. This meant that if a brand new set needed help bonding, we did not have to move it so far. And when the crew spotted a problem, help was closer. (Meanwhile, the ewes with older lambs were drifted further off to larger pastures during that interval.)
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An aerial view of our actual grazing pattern would look nothing like this chart. But we used the concept of maintaining an interface between the heavy breds, who were consuming less acreage daily, and the ewes with lambs, who were consuming increasing acreage daily.

Integrating two distinct grazing paths presented opportunities and convenience that we had not previously enjoyed.

05/15/2026

4 Research based reasons to teach your child to knit:

1. Improved self-control.
A 2023 study asked elementary school children to complete inhibition-control tasks after a short knitting session. Researchers found the knitting group performed better on both emotional and non emotional self regulation tasks compared to the control group.

2.Better attention & focus.
A 2025 study found that participants performed better on attention tests after just 20 minutes of crochet. Researchers also observed changes in brain networks linked to attention.

3.Stronger learning skills.
Knitting combines counting, sequencing, pattern recognition, reading instructions, and problem solving all within one activity, which is why fiber crafts are often discussed in hands on education research.

4.Supports motor coordination.
Knitting requires sustained hand movement, visual tracking, coordination, and concentration at the same time. Developmental research has consistently linked fine motor development with broader cognitive development in children.

Sources:

1. Frontiers in Psychology

2.Scientific Reports / PubMed Sebastiano et al. (2025)

3. Craft Yarn Council - ‘Why Teach Knit & Crochet?’

4.Harvard Center on the Developing Child + Child Mind Institute

05/05/2026

What is the condition score of your ewes?

Ewe nutrition is crucial to successful lambing. Knowing what and when to feed ewes is fundamental to ewe and lamb survival.

To get a useful result, condition score a random sample of at least 50 ewes from the middle of the mob. Calculate the average, then adjust supplementary feeding to hit condition score targets. Separate single- and twin-bearing ewes where possible.

More information to managing your ewes to improve lamb survival can be found in the link in the comments ⬇

Australian Wool Innovation AWI Extension TAS AWI Extension WA AWI Extension QLD AWI Extension VIC AWI Extension SA Leading Sheep

05/05/2026

Thanks again to Double E Shearing. Some more pictures of the Border Cheviot ewes and the rams shorn on the second day. Thank you to all our help on both days. Everyone working at fleece pickup, skirting, and keeping the sheep up to the shearers did a fantastic job.

05/04/2026

Thanks Double E shearing for the great job done

05/04/2026

First day of shearing is done for the year. Thanks to Double E Shearing. We would like to thank Jackie Mathison for allowing us to use some of the pictures she took.

05/01/2026

04/28/2026

Shearing days will be May 3 + 4 this year. Anyone interested in fleeces can get first choice if you are here during shearing.
PM us if you need directions

04/26/2026

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