Babydoll Sheep Tales: A Year of Fleece, Fun & Lessons Learned!

Alas, a whole month has gone by without a post. 😥 This is partly due to Farmer Lady's day job (unfortunately it's not spending all day running the farm) being bumped up to working six days a week, and partly due to her upcoming start of grad school. This has led to periods of voluntary computer avoidance since said grad school is fully online, which means a lot of computer time shortly approaching.

All that being said, we do greatly appreciate those who have been sticking with the sporadic post updates. Even trying to stick with just one post a week hasn't happened, much to Farmer Lady's dismay.

For today's post, let's recap the hilarious and heartwarming tales of our journey as first-year babydoll sheep owners! This is expanded from our first post about these critters when we wrote about the first two weeks we had the sheep.

From puzzling predicaments to unexpected triumphs, we've learned a whole lot more than we signed up for. So grab your popcorn and settle in for a rollercoaster ride filled with woolly wonders and farm-friendly fiascos.

They're fascinated by chickens and turkeys.

They still like to mess with the chickens and turkeys. Our turkeys have had their tails nibbled on by the sheep. We haven't decided whether or not they're just messing with the turkeys, or if they're trying to eat them. 😕

They can be as stubborn as donkeys.

Dark still sleeps in the old shed. Is this his preference, or did the girls kick him out? 🤔 When being bribed with maple leaves or animal crackers to go into their corral, Dark and Lainey will go as far as the entrance and stop. They know what we're doing, but eventually, the treats win out and we can get them to go inside.

Anything can be used as a scratching post.

Often we can find our fire pit bench lying on the ground. This is from the sheep scratching their chins or backsides on it and knocking it over. I'm just glad there are never any chicken injuries from these encounters.

New Lessons We've Learned

Lessons in Lambing

As lambing season approached, we braced ourselves for the pitter-patter of tiny hooves. We soon discovered that sheep birth stories are no less dramatic than human ones. We learned to expect the unexpected, from surprise births (ahem, Noah) to lambs with a flair for acrobatics.

The Great Escape: A Comedy of Errors

Our sheep have proven to be master escape artists, turning our farm into a makeshift obstacle course. From leaping over fences to sneaking through cracks, they've made it clear that they're not fans of confinement. Catching sight of their triumphant expressions post-escape, we couldn't help but admire their determination.

Hoof Trimming: A Battle of Wills

Attempting to trim our sheep's hooves was a test of patience and resilience. What started as a straightforward task turned into a hilarious game of tag, with us playing the role of clumsy contenders. Let's just say that sheep and shears don't always see eye to eye. Sometimes it's easier to just pay someone else to do it for you.

The Not-so-Mysterious Case of the Missing Feed

Every farmer's nightmare became our reality when we discovered a garage full of spilled chicken feed and two sheep (Layla and Noah) with their heads stuck in a metal trash can. (They were fine. This wasn't Noah's first time getting his head stuck in a feeder. We rescue him each time and look him over to make sure he's ok. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to learn his lesson...he takes after his dad in that sense.) Upon the slow realization that the yard had become way too quiet, we stumbled upon our sheep hosting a forbidden feast of chicken feed, which contains copper and is toxic to sheep. It seems our flock has a taste for adventure, not just hay.

Through all the chaos and comedy, we've gained a newfound appreciation for the joys of raising babydoll sheep. Their quirky personalities and unwavering spirit have brought an unexpected lightness to our farm life. They've taught us patience, resilience, and above all, the importance of laughter in the face of challenges.

So here's to our woolly friends and the countless memories we've created in our first year as babydoll sheep owners. As we look back on the trials and triumphs, we can't help but feel grateful for the messy, marvelous journey that lies ahead.

If you're looking for laughter, lessons, and a whole lot of wool, stay tuned for more tales from Tyler Farm!