(1/22/16) 2016...What's In Store for BFF?

to this:

in less than 5 months! I learned how quickly three sheep can graze down a pasture - and that just because a field is full of stuff doesn't mean that they are going to want to eat all of that stuff. And I quickly discovered that if you want to find the holes in your fence, just let three sheep into the pasture...they will have spotted and utilized the tiniest escape route within seconds (I swear I heard Mikey shouting "FREEDOM!" after one such discovery)!

Since December and our unexpected hard winter, I learned that I really can trust and believe in the hardiness of Icelandic sheep - their thel (inner coat) really does insulate them from the cold, and their tog (outer coat) really does repel water. And again...their wool grows so amazingly fast! I felt a tad guilty taking their wool in October, but they grow it back so quickly that winters truly are not a problem for them.

So with what I've learned this year, and what I've experienced as a shepherd through four seasons, I know that there are some things that need to be tweaked in 2016 - I don't think any major overhauls are necessary, but there are things that can be done to make everyone more comfortable...including our new arrival (who will be here in November...but more about her in a future post!). And because I love lists...here we go:

* I'd like to pull out the hay feeder in their barn and ask my husband to build a new, freestanding one. The current set up is fine for maybe 1-2 animals, but it makes it difficult for 3 fairly large sheep to get in there and get their hay without squabbling:

Instead, I'd like to have him build something like this that would be in the middle of the barn, anchored down so that it couldn't be knocked over, and providing them with two long sides from which to munch:

I believe that this type of feeder would also prevent a lot of the wasted hay that we're experiencing this year.

* The breezeway of the barn needs gravel put down for drainage. I didn't notice any problems with it until all of our snow melted...it is a mud bog now, and despite the wind that blows through there, it's still not enough to dry out the mud in the spring months.

* We need a firm rotational system for pasture grazing. This will also require that shade shelters be set up in the two southern-most fields so that they can actually be out there to graze, but once that is done, we need to make sure that they are only eating down to about 5 inches...and if there are tall weeds leftover once it gets down that low, then those need to be mowed because the sheep aren't going to eat them. Managing this better than we did last year should mean that we can extend their pasture grazing a bit longer and have to feed them less hay - and it's good for them to have new fields and new grasses to graze!

* As word spreads about my Etsy shop, and my BFF Batts in particular, I'm finding that I need to set up a firm work schedule. The BFF Batts only require 45 minutes  each to make - but because of my lower back issues and the angle at which I stand to run the drum carder, I can only make two per day without causing problems. So I want to be sure that I am making those two BFF Batts per day, everyday. Even if I don't have updates to get out, I'd like to be in the habit of making these yummy batts of fibery heaven - just think of how awesome it would be to have a mass of them stockpiled for events like Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (which I hope to attend this year as a vendor!)!

* Finally, I want to be outside, enjoying our land and our sheep even more than I did last year. My daughter and I are working on moving more - not being so sedentary - and I'm excited to build up strength so that I can run with the sheep! One of my favorite memories from last year was playing tag with them one evening...running through the pasture while they played, and Mikey being very careful to not knock me over...I want to build a storehouse of wonderful memories like that to have in future years, and the only way to do that is to get outside and get moving!

What about you, my dear Readers? What are your goals and dreams for 2016? Please share them with me in the comments, and thank you for being part of the woolly world of Sheep and Fate!