I am NOT happy !
HELP !!!
HELP !!!
Leave my momma alone!
Oh, the humiliation. I hope my wool coat doesn't shrink. That could be a problem.
Naomi and baby Ruth are reunited after Naomi's stressful bath.
~Fair time is coming up. Next week my Jacob sheep and I will be in the 'Animals of the World' exhibit. Please visit us at the Puyallup Fair in Puyallup ,Washington from the 17th to the 21st of this month. There is a lot to see and do at the State Fair !
~~~I want to make sure the sheep are clean and showing the true color of their wool. This requires I bathe them, showing the brown and beige wool to be the black and white wool it really is. The lanolin, dirt, and sun work together to make the true colors look brown and beige. After a few years exhibiting my sheep I was surprised to learn most people thought the sheep were brown and beige. How would they know ? Normally we do not bathe wool breed sheep. The wool is left until shearing, whereupon the wool is washed and carded...and the true color is revealed during this procedure. Because my exhibit is meant to be educational I have chosen to bathe my sheep this year, thus preventing all the puzzled looks from the public as I explain why my 'brown and beige' sheep are producing black and white wool and yarn.
~~~My sheep do not like baths. I do not like giving them baths. I am usually drenched in suds and water myself at the end of the baths. During the bath I trim their feet and clip off undesirable clumps of manure around their tails. Then I give the sheep a dose of nutrients combined with a probiotic paste to help them with the stress of bathing and exhibiting.
Fair time is approaching quickly and there is so much to do !
" Fair ; An occasional or periodical exhibit of agricultural products, manufacturers, or other articles of value or interest;" Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary
11 comments:
Ah, the fair. Looking forward to being there. Your sheep will look lovely. Aren't they funny how they seem to know you are insulting them? Its not like they are in pain, just very put out because you were rude.
Oh, have fun at the fair! I really miss it. We have the county fairs around here, but they just don't compare to the Puyallup (and they're also in the stinking hot middle of the summer), and the state fair is a little far to drive for just a day's fun.
It's funny. Though I thoroughly love living on the prairie, you keep reminding me of what I miss about the northwest. :-)
I never thought about the trials and tribulations of bathing sheep, that must be difficult. Looks like everyone survived!
Awwwww, that is soooo cute. I had no idea sheep could be so beautiful.
Gosh, I would love to visit the Puyallup Fair. I watch Seattle television sometimes, and I love the ads for the Fair.
"Dooooooo the Puyallup! Dooooooo the Puyallup!"
Thank you for making me smile today. :-)
I love fairs but it never occurred to me that you had to give sheep a bath to get them ready. I never had to bath my chickens.
Dr. John, you should ask Aunt Kathy's youngest son a little something about bathing chickens...or was it drowning chickens?! :-D
(Aunt Kathy, my parents STILL have that television spot on a tape somewhere. We LOVE it!)
Yes, my poor sheep. I bathed 2 more today and that plum tuckered me out .( them too )Anyway, I decided Goth, the ram, can go as he is...looking beige and brown. Fortunately Mr. Dirt( Lanny's husband) sheared him so neat that I think he will do. Besides, I don't have the energy to bathe him.
Noble Pig, survived is the word....
the sheep are still wet and NOT happy. I can hear one ewe baaing right now as she is in a pen by herself to keep clean while she dries.
I am looking forward to the fair and the friends we see there every year. Megan, bring your family back to the Pacific Northwest soon!
Jo,that's right , I forgot we have a lot of Canadians here at our fair...and the Royal Canadian Mounties are one of our favorite shows and exhibits. They're so handsome and the horses are so magnificent as they ride through the fairgrounds to and from the main arena twice a day.
Dr. John, Megan is tight. We have to bathe show poultry at 4H and FFA competitions..and one year our son almost drowned his chicken during a 4H demonstration. The judge gave the chicken CPR and we made the news from east coast to west coast. Our NBC T.V. affiliate did a whole segment they dramatized about the incident and to our son's shame, we had reporters at our home. The incident was reported in National Enquirer and by Rush Limbaugh...must have been a very slow news week. KathyB.
Aw...unhappy sheep faces. :(
That is one thing I can say that I have never done and I'm pretty sure will never do is give a sheep a bath. HA! HA! I learn a lot at your blog, Kathy.
Well, I hope they (and you!!) have fun at the fair. :D
I hope you have a blast at the fair!
One thing: where did you get the stand you have your sheep on for washing? I'm really getting tired of standing on my head trying to bathe my lambs. That looks like the handiest thing in the world and just what I need.
Daisy, you would be surprised by all that is required to prepare almost all the animals at the fair for their few days there. All the livestock, including the poultry are given baths and groomed to some extent. Often months Of work have gone into preparation for the fair.
Pamela, I think we ordered our sheep stand from the Farm and Ranch catalog we get. I can check it out for you after the fair. I just remember comparing prices from a few sources and the catalog I mentioned was the best at the time....about 15 years ago. Hope that helps some ??? KathyB.
My apologies for resurrecting a very old post, but I have a handful of little bottle bunters that I'm planning on putting into our hometown's 100th anniversary parade in a week or so. They most definitely are grungy looking, so in looking up info on what to do to get them clean and came across your blog! I just wanted to ask what you use to wash your sheep, just warm water and a mild soap (I was thinking dish soap maybe) or do you use a shampoo of some kind? I don't suppose any of them will enjoy the process, but I do want them to look their best!
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