Today I’m thankful for my rams (and many other things besides!), who spend most of the year on less-than-perfect pasture, patiently waiting for the month when they get to make lambs.  This year’s breeding is scheduled to start a week from tomorrow, and I will be writing more about all the head-scratching I’ve done, alone and with Bill, to figure out who gets bred to whom.  I’m still figuring out the logistics of it all.  In the meantime, I present Angus the Katahdin for your enjoyment.

More than one visitor to the farm has audibly gasped when they see him.  While fluffy white sheep are regularly invoked as stand-ins for God’s chosen people, Angus looks like the mascot for the other team.

His job is to bring some size to my Katahdin flock.  The ewes have lots to recommend them — easy lambing, good mothering skills, ostensible parasite resistance (still confirming that bit), and no need for shearing.  Katadhins’ dammit feature is that their lambs grow slowly to a final size that’s not very impressive.  I’d love to keep this breed as part of my flock, but if their lambs only reach 60lbs at market time — I’d prefer 110, but would take 90 — their other qualities won’t carry the day.  Angus weighs almost 190lbs, and I’m hoping some of that finds its way into his offspring.