The Big Move to the barn.

 The Big Move to the Barn

From the small sheep pen to the large pen in the barn.

Here the Ladies are going out the barn door to the winter paddock for the first time.

 

Hardware cloth was added to this side of the window to prevent injuries and rubber barn mats layer the ground to prevent slipping.

  

A new hay feeder was made for their new home in the barn with space at the bottom for grain.

A view of their space from the stairs above moments before they moved in. There is space to add paneling and create a lambing pen within this space.

Their new space in the barn is much cozier and roomier then their sheep shed and they were happy to be back together, especially when they realized it was time for breakfast.

They stayed together as they explored their winter pasture.  Rosie and Dolly the Southdown sheep and Natalie and Nala the Katahdin sheep.

Checking out their new space and their surroundings.

Even though the barn is not fully completed, it is certainly functional and we are so happy to have our animals move in this rainy October weekend.

They acclimated very well and enjoyed their roaming ability.

We called their names and they stopped their nibbling  to look up. Natalie is the brown Katahdin on the left, Nala is the white Katahdin in the front, Rosie is the larger Southdown and Dolly is the smaller of the two.  I can’t tell from this photo, which is which.

The Southdown sheep are going for a snack of evergreen, while the Katahdins are searching for and munching on acorns.

The Southdown sheep just came to our farm a couple weeks prior to this big move to the barn.  Check out their arrival story on the post: What’s Two More?

If you would like to learn a little more about the barn itself, check out the post Building a Barn. And Building a Barn the Finishing Touches.
  

What’s Two More?

I wasn’t born a farmer.  I didn’t dream of being one when I was a little girl.  It didn’t cross my mind while I was making my way through college.  It started as a slow growth like a seed being planted in the earth. First the large vegetable garden, then some blueberry bushes, and wouldn’t chickens be nice.  Our little seed of a farm grew to a seedling when some  years later  pigs seemed like a good addition, as they most certainly have. Now we have this growing herd of sheep.

Rosie and Dolly the Southdown sheep have joined our family farm.  They were both very shy their first night. We are expecting little lambs this February because they have been bred.  We can’t wait to update you when that happens.

It took a while for the new sheep to get friendly with our two Katahdins, but they did not fight or get aggressive as we expected.

They spent a lot of time in separate parts of the pasture.

Now they all spend more time together and are beginning to act like a herd.  

Justin’s staycation this October has been very fruitful.  A whole new pasture has been born behind the barn.  The sheep will have a pen in the big warm barn this winter.

Thank you for checking out our new additions and while you’re here, mark yourself a follower of our Castonguay This’N’That Family Farm.

Welcome Dolly and Rosie!