A Colourful Addition
About five months ago I heard that someone was looking for a home for a black lamb. As I would eventually like to own a collection of coloured sheep and I don't believe a lamb should be eaten just because it is coloured, I offered my little farm as his new home. Also, Coco had died only a week or so before this. Back in October, I had noticed that two sheep were missing about a week before but didn't find them until I had moved the sheep to the next paddock. I hate not being able to walk amongst them now that I have 'Arnie the Charging Ram'.
Anyway, with one thing and another I had not been able to collect this black lamb, now a sheep, called 'Blackie' until 13 March. With any new additions to the flock, they have to be introduced by degrees, so as to escape the wrath of both Arnie and Bobbie, and even the other sheep. (I remember Coco had a hard time for weeks.) I put Blackie into the small paddock around the yards and encouraged some sheep down to join him. This proved difficult and I only managed to entice two sheep into the yard paddock. This would have to do, as I didn't want either Arnie or Bobbie to come in too. So Blackie spent the next three days with two ewes. I was surprised, though, because Spotty Nose gave him a bit of a hard time and I didn't think she would, especially as I had thought she would be a good introductory companion being the oldest ewe and my lead sheep.
On the Sunday we managed to separate Arnie into the laneway and Bobbie in the cattle yards and brought all the sheep into the yard paddock. I left the sheep to sort themselves out with both Arnie and Bobbie watching on the sidelines. Very late in the afternoon I reintroduced Arnie and Bobbie and everyone was one big happy family. Arnie nudged him a bit but Bobbie didn't bother him at all. So, all in all I think it all went fairly smoothly and I now have another black merino sheep for spinning wool. He is a fine black sheep with only a little bit of white on his face. Steve helped him into the trailer and said his fleece was very soft, so I am looking forward to the first shearing.