Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

[Akrnaf2]

My tasty Luggage!!

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

My tasty Luggage!!

Ahem...So how DOES one prepare crocodile or alligator...I suspect one must harvest it carefully? Dangerous like Rhinos are??


Lambs are much more tasty & easier to prepare than...luggage leather...

Tasty lambs

50 days for twins; Èder (38 pounds) & Èva (37 pounds)
47 days for single; Èden (47 pounds)<--SEE...days old = pounds

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And yes...the girl dogs must be careful...Èden weighs exactly the same as them now.

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Searched some more and found an article with some good info...answers some of my questions that some of the Dorper people I have asked have not answered...

And yes, I am finding people keep lying (not even hashed over versions of the truth or the don't know parts but that out & out false witness stuff yer suppose to go to over!). Oh well...I have found some up and honest ones and I will stick by them for that honesty! People, eh!

Dorper Sheep - Revolutionizing the meat sheep industry
By Darlene Polachic
Issue #75 • May/June, 2002

“Some of our Dorper lambs have gained a pound a day,” Soderberg says. “In fact, we had two lambs tested at the provincial Record of Production Centre and one had gained 32 pounds in 28 days.”

There...found some info...it is A GOOD rate of gain for Èden to gain a pound a day (or there abouts because she was birthed at nine pounds)...it is what is in the BREED...right back at the beginnings of embryo imports to Canada from the South African country of origin. GOOD!

Same article on the Soderberg's from Saskatchewan.

Dorpers are also a shedding sheep, which means they shed their winter coat naturally, thus eliminating the need for mechanical shearing. Their fleece is a short, loose covering of hair and wool, with wool predominantly on the forequarter. Because the underbelly stays clean, shearing and crutching for lambing are unnecessary, an important economic and time management consideration for the producer.

“Dorpers shed from the bottom up,” Henry points out. “In South Africa they retain a light coating of wool on top to protect them from sun. So far, they’ve tended to keep some wool on top here, too, but I believe when they get more acclimatized, they will probably shed out completely.

“With little or no wool production, the energy that would go into that is diverted to meat production,” he adds.

Èd & Èden - two hairy/woolly lambs
and ever so lucky...two kinda different versions of hair
Èd's is straighter & Èden's is curlier
Time and paying attention will tell me lots of info
Does hair = full shedding...I get to learn from the Beasts!​

In the beginnings, I can see them wondering if the Dorpers would fully shed off...well I can say that some do and some won't. I am letting MY sheep teach me the whole truths, and nothing but the truths about SHEDDING traits. I suppose that is what I have always done...the animals DO NOT lie...people do. Granted the not knowing part but now years later...one should KNOW BETTER.

The South African breed has proven very hardy in the Canadian climate and does well in both very hot and very cold weather.

Dorpers lamb out at about 7 to 11 pounds. Mature rams peak at 285 to 310 pounds and ewes at 240 to 250 pounds.

“Their food conversion is excellent,” Henry says. “They’re a non-selective grazer and do very well on pasture. We give them good alfalfa, and maybe a little grain before and after lambing. But we have to ration grain because it is converted into excessive fat. Under optimum feeding conditions, Dorpers have a very thin layer of fat that’s evenly distributed.”

No grain...lambs are on Moms' milk, clean water, and grazing our forage grown here!

When we run out of pasture (slows way down in August), they will all be on a blend of alfalfa and grass hay. I weigh Èden when she turns 50 days old and hoping she does me right and is FIFTY pounds at 50 days.

First lambing of Dorpers and already seeing we done really good...blessed with GREAT SHEEPS... Whee hee hee...

Full-blood Dorper rams currently range from $4000 to $5000. A full-blood ewe will bring from $5000 to $6000. Half and three-quarter crosses fetch up to $1000 and $1500 respectively.

YUP, this is the why as a newbie potential shepherdess back in 1998...I could not justify cutting my teeth on the Dorper breed...imagine outright KILLING a Dorper because "I" did not know any better...about the basics of sheep keeping.

My emotions would be robbed & ragged...along with my pocket book.

There is always a time to do things and so blessed to have the correct timing!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Hmm...How do I know it is summer? I don't know what day it is. Tuesday, OK>>>was fine with yesterday being Monday (knew that) but until about noon, thought it was already AUGUST...Aug 1st. Bwa ha ha...too much fun, time has meaning but dates sure don't. Shameful...hee hee...NOT!

Like many of my run on sentences...one day runs into another...too much fun being had here.

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I can't add...did anyone note I added Èder's & Èva's weights together and got a combined weight one pound too much? SHB 68 pounds of twins...oh well...mind is going to mush and I'm letting it. Hee hee...come on September! Little less sunshine to the tête and I can focus better? Maybe I will stay this way, eh?

Those who mind, don't matter and those that matter, don't mind...
- Theodor Seuss Geisel

Man Porch...Bloomin' place--totally! ​

I am sure that DD is going into remission...so better post some clicks of the dawgs...

So lots of loser laps with my Hero...and the dogs too...got all his trucks to run about in and get the oil up in before the WHITE season comes in...well that be the reasons and we be sticking to that reasoning.

Lookit this precious face...smile like only a sleeping dog can smile.
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And this was on the way heading out ... Lacy now jumps up and loads herself...well by golly wouldn't one...

Dogs don't LIKE pizza...well do they??

Hand fed by Rick? No dog would like THAT!!!!!!!!!

Every evening...the very most SERIOUS of times...
Play time - dog run runs...
Goofuses...Foamy doing the worm, Emmy dropping the ball to get a drink,
Lacy pouncing on it...​

And after run runs (when our faces quit hurting from laughing at the antics)...what does the pack go do...pick berries. Saskatoons I planted back in 1999...and there are so many berries (not even the wild birds can steal too many!).

Holy CRAPOLLY...tons of Saskatoons...TONS!​

So much fun to watch Rick hose soak the girls, then we go run the dogs and then the whole gang goes to check out the New Orchard and see what is to be had for a snack, eh.

Very BERRY dogs...very!

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And if the humans don't pick quick enough...the dogs know how to help themselves to the lower branches. Great carnivores, eh!

Just be thankful the apples and crabapple trees have fruit up pretty high...

This tree is loaded with apples...I know a few mouths that would look swell with "apple in mouth" on a spit over the BBQ! Get away from there...they are NOT ready yet...dang dogs!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada[/quote]

 

[Akrnaf2]

Tara you made me reading about sheep breeds and look what I found! The Zwartbles

 

[CanuckBock]

Tara you made me reading about sheep breeds and look what I found! The Zwartbles
View attachment 1097833 View attachment 1097842 View attachment 1097844

Hmmm...what were they thinking posing that ram with his back end like that??

I also see some ewes in the last photo standing like that...there might be a fault in the breed, no turn of stifle?

They are a cute breed (especially like the badger faces and undocked two coloured tails!) but I have been spoilt with the Jacobs (dots...dots and colours...and lots of interesting patterns) and now with the Dorpers I am in heaven looking at them here. You recall Rick & I chose two Katahdin/Dorper crosses...to wean ourselves OFF the colourful patterns the Jacobs had gotten us accustomed to??

When I had heard that they were taking this particular flock to the knackers and I would have choice over any and all...this ewe lamb Ditto kept grabbing my attentions. I would drive the school bus by, glance and there was her patterned blanket staring at me...I had to have her.

Ditto got clipped yesterday...she is very pretty, yes??

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Dorper crosses are renown for fanciful colour patterns in the F1 generation. The lady that had Dorps for 20 years told me she selected crosses at birth for hide sales. LOL...so if you had a nice pattern, you were for market meat lambs and tanned hides (she lived close to a tannery).

Dorpers are known for having thick hides...thick skin so biting insects would not bother them so much...likely inherited from the Persian sheep breed (Swartkoppersie) used to create this breed. Hides used for making gloves...specialty marketing.


http://capehidetraders.yolasite.com/products.php#

Dorper Skins:

We also offer Dorper sheep skins. Dorper skins are regarded among the best in the world. It has no wrinkles and a smooth grain. It is used in the manufacture of high quality leather clothes and gloves.

These skins are a sought-after export product, and few Dorper skins are used locally in the leather industry. Pickled Dorper skins are mostly sold for export at good prices. The grain of the skin takes up half of the total thickness of the skin. Glands are not well developed in the grain, as the grain consists of a network of strong collagen fibers. This network of collagen fibres makes the leather exceptionally strong. Collagen is the material that forms the leather.

A sheep skin with a lot of hair closely resembles a goatskin. The fibers of a Dorperskin are delicate, but the skin structure is tighter and denser that that of goatskins or wool skins. The weave angle of Dorper skin fibers is flat – a feature that strengthens the leather further.

Dorpers are said to keep adding substance to their frames...
Snickers is 2014 and Peanut on the right is 2011
These are THICK BONED BEASTS!​

I also lean towards preferring a thicker skeleton--medium to fine bones don't really cut it for me...in my dogs, in my sheep...I want to see STRONG frames, thick bones...just me I guess?

The dairy sheep breeds used for milk traits would explain how we end up seeing the thinner skeletons. Some people here swear that dairy cattle make a more tender cut of beef and will have beef breeds but keep a Holstein for their own use. Told the dairy cattle breeds have oval shaped bones compared to the beef breeds having round bones. Supposedly

"That came from me??"​

So got to clip two sheeps yesterday...Ditto & Peanut

Coverings are GONE! ​

It is funny to see the sheep sans coverings...I know when I release them back to the flock...they must be SNIFFED by the others.
"Dat you or?? What happened??"​

I have the ram Boss Man to do but have warned Rick I need him home in case we have a real rodeo and I lose...he's a big boy and would not intentionally harm me but things can happen!

Moms and their kids...ahem...lambs! ​

Mowing the bird yard...so they were close to where I was clipping at
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Greek salad & stir fry shrimp and veg​

Food yesterday (Scott's likely starved to death by now??) - not experimenting with much new...same ol', same old! Summer time and stuff the gullet...LOL

Beef burgers and fries​

Get more new things on the go to eat maybe in the fall. Just glad to have the strength at the end of the day to make something for us humans to scoff down and get some rest afterwards.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Frolicking hilarity...

Ewe lambs...love the tails...whee hee hee...kicking it up a notch! ​

Post some pics of the RUNNERS...runaways with my

The two haired ones... ​

Note that Èder is hanging on to his last nip of grass... ​

Hang tough lil' ram ​

Remembered to shut his mouth... ​

And jest like pups do...on or off...the full stops are cute too.

Èden topping up...get energized for the next energetic rompings!
​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Training for old and young ovines is ongoing...July 17, trimmed up Duro's manners on halter behaviours welcomed by us older humans.

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I am not huge on doing useless things...got so many funner things to do, why waste effort.

A non-wasted effort is teaching ALL your beasts to lead. Dog to sheep, don't matter. They should also know how to stand quietly tied. I say this because when faced with an emergency, medical or weather disaster...sure is nice to know that you can halter or collar up your creatures and move them with less stress and when you get them to a safe location, they won't fester and get ill because you had to hold them in one spot. Last thing you need is a stampede when you need calm quiet GET AWAY behaviours.

During the Father's Day flood of 2005, it sure was awesome for us to lead all our ruminants to higher ground (all the barns, credit to Rick...are on the high part of the ground...none flooded when three feet of water perked out of the river valley ground we reside on!) or to evacuate. I braided up enough halters with leads for my ruminants and have them located in various locations...you never know when you might have to secure someone, eh.

Takes a few minutes (like people, after 15 minutes, training is a waste of time...you zone out and it becomes this dull roar...keep it short, sweet and straight up) to halter up the young'uns and for life...they are going to remember how to behave. Oh and BTW, as said on here before...them pretty premade bought plastic halters, suck. They are too slippy (unlike the white ones I made, they are not slippy and stay tied) but make fine practise halters for the young ones. Past that, doomed to fail in my experiences.

The basic concept; pressure and release immediately to reward the behaviours wanted...
Walk towards me or even turn you head towards me, you get a loose lead...instantly the reward for obliging moi!
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Tug and release, tug and release...they come round pretty quick like...pull with no release and you got yourself a tugging match...you'll lose

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Helps too when you are only wrangling a thirty pounder, over a near 300 pounder...eeep!

And people think sheep are stupid, eh
Nope, they have culture...that is Snickers babe from last year, her babe from this year
Sheep KNOW who their family & friends are and stick to each other like glue​

I'm a widdle over the top because I have trained some of my ruminants to harness--pull a parade wagon and all ...so halter training was just a smidgen of what I expected outta them.


For the bigger and more stubborn of the lot...there is always THE refreshener course I offer. You get tied to a very reliable counter part and you learn to oblige both me and your flock mate. I've heard of horsey persons tying a Mustang to a donkey and letting the donkey drag the horse abouts. Kinda the same concept only I am there to avoid any wrecks (off to the vets is not my idea of good times !).

Duro is a brutus...she can bull her way most times!
Use yer grey matter, not your brawn, eh​

It does help that when I haul out the halters off the corral bars...they KNOW it is to GO to fresh ground for a nice day of gorging on the GREENS.

"Hey," says Duro, "I remember this...now I'm the leader!"​

My two llamas practically jump into their halters and lead--standing quiet while if fidget and fumble...they KNOW good things are about to happen and the quicker we march over thar...the quicker they get to fill their ruminants.

"Uh, no...Snickers is Leader...you listen up Whippersnapper!" ​

Yes, it is quite the cluster @#$% while we meander to new ground. But hey, with the right mindset...anything can be amusing...best to laugh than blow a gasket. Welcome to the Funny Farm, eh.

Some might frown on small rewards...I often stop for snack time
but hey, I'm and I'm slipping in a nap standing on my feets too
"Oh yeh, where were we going and what is my name? There goes my slipper..."
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Jest about thar...Tie Snickers up high and down to the front gates we two go

Snack break (zzzz)...note the loose lead and voila
Duro is by herself and minding well! Good gal!
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Duro is tied high and I go back to the Mommas with babes
Need to power up the ele netting
Duro is learning to stand quietly tied​

Tied high and secure, the sheep can fight if she wants...she's fighting a fence post, not wearing me out so have at it.

Only when they are standing proper and quiet...do they get the reward of release...lose them during a wrestle...YOU just taught them to fight gives them the might to escape what you are trying to accomplish. Be careful at the beginnings not to flub up. You'll have to do triple time to correct YOUR error.

Glorious GREENS!

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Fence is powered up and Duro is off to enjoy her day, eh. A refreshener and next time, she'll likely put up less resistance...she's gone to the green and she'll remember, halter leading = a day out and about munching. Sheep's delight.

Myself, my reward is that if'n we have an emergency and have to evacuate, the precious sheeps will be obliging to whatever and wherever we have to exit stage right to.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[Akrnaf2]

Heel low:

Frolicking hilarity...

View attachment 1098742
Ewe lambs...love the tails...whee hee hee...kicking it up a notch! ​

Post some pics of the RUNNERS...runaways with my

View attachment 1098743
The two haired ones... ​

View attachment 1098744
Note that Èder is hanging on to his last nip of grass... ​

View attachment 1098746
Hang tough lil' ram ​

View attachment 1098749
Remembered to shut his mouth... ​

And jest like pups do...on or off...the full stops are cute too.

View attachment 1098752
Èden topping up...get energized for the next energetic rompings!
​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Did you know that sheep hide is very important in Judaism?
It uses to manufacture the parchment that the Torah ( ouer holy books) is written on?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah

And the rams Horn is used for making Shofar
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar

 

[CanuckBock]

Did you know that sheep hide is very important in Judaism?
It uses to manufacture the parchment that the Torah ( ouer holy books) is written on?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah
View attachment 1098806
And the rams Horn is used for making Shofar
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar
View attachment 1098811 View attachment 1098812

No, did not know they still used sheep hides for the "good book!"

Is a Shofar only made from MALE SHEEP horns as in only rams' horns are used??

Jacob Lilac colour expression of Agouti -
Lighter around the eyes
A simple recessive but dominant over
Dominant Black (think Dorpers have Dom Black too)
F1's are pretty DARK like an F1 Jacob cross is ​

Jacob rams could supply nice horns for the noise makers too!

Young Regi on the right
Nascor on the left
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Rota...

Unsheared
​

Older Regius....

​

Regi Sheared
​

Their horns never stopped growing...

Regius and Rota - twin brothers out of my Jacob ewe Melody
Canada's 1st Grand Ch Jacob Ewe

Even the Jacob ewes have interesting horns
(Nascor in the middle thar!)
Ewe Lego on the left had four horns with two curved around
the gene that makes the horn core split sometimes does
not do a good enough job
and does not leave "space" between horns that split off

Nascor in her younger years...
good separation space between four of the five horns she has

Wether Rex - once you alter them, their horns don't grow
as fast as intact males do but still have horns
that grow faster & bigger than in a Jacob ewe​

Starting to feel like my place is a ONE STOP SHOP...bwa ha ha

Thank you Benny--for sharing this interesting stuff!

 

[Akrnaf2]

The hides could be from every cosher animal=sheeps, goats, cattle,
Dears, ibex, gazel. ....
Also the horn could be from any cosher animal.
The hide is used on the books that we use in the synagogue on Shabat and holidays prayers.