» Sheep Stories

New Year Toenail Trimming!!

Annette Johnston — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:15 +0000

Liam the Icelandic sheep needed his little hooves trimmed, and apparently was not in the mood for it. He was very feisty, and I had a hard time getting him to hold still long enough to trim the 4 hooves. I gave him extra grain as a reward when I finally finished. Besides the normal trimming when he is sheared in the spring, I need to trim his feet about quarterly. The other sheep are fine with just the once each year at shearing time.

Robin the Horse and Hershey the Donkey have their hooves trimmed by a farrier every 8 weeks. They stand very well for him.

Dollie Llama is pretty good when I trim her toenails. Hers need trimming just a couple times each year.

Liam Grew Pumpkins This Year

Annette Johnston — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:05:31 +0000

Several pumpkin plants came up by themselves in Liam’s pasture. He was careful to not eat the plants as they grew, and before I knew it, he had over 13 pumpkins! He is now eating the plants, as I harvest the pumpkins.

Spring Fever at Frolic Farm

Annette Johnston — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:12:18 +0000

The natives are restless! I have had quite a time keeping the geese corralled. One of my sheep, little Lilli Lamb, has also been escaping. The geese have learned that when the ground is soft and muddy like this, it is easy for them to push under the fence and head out into my pasture. By the time I get home from work, they might have wandered into my backyard. They do go back into their pond area willingly, but I have to keep adding more logs next to the fence to keep them in. As soon as I fix one spot, they start on a new one. Lilli Lamb has been taking lessons from them. She has learned to push her way under the fence in the sheep’s paddock. She wanders around the pasture, then heads into the neighbor’s yard. Fortunately, she knows her name and comes back when I call to her. I have put some old oak planks around the bottom of the fence in the sheep paddock to keep her in.

Lilli Lamb Arrived Safely

Annette Johnston — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:59:57 +0000

Lilli the Icelandic Lamb

Little Lilli the orphan Icelandic lamb arrived at Frolic Farm on Friday. She is old enough to be off the bottle and eating on her own. Lilli is adjusting well, and making friends. She lives with Lambchop and Liam in a grassy paddock. She likes to eat grain, besides the grass.

New Lamb is named Lilli

Annette Johnston — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:34:15 +0000

Lilli will arrive at Frolic Farm in about a week. I will move Lambchop and Liam to an adjoining pen for a few days, so they can get acquainted through the fence. Then when I bring the boys back into the main pen, I will make sure Lilli has a safe spot so she can hide if they get aggressive. I’ll post photos after she arrives.

Soon to be New Arrival at Frolic Farm

Annette Johnston — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:07:04 +0000

I just attended a Fiber Arts Festival in Marshall Michigan, and one of my sheep friends was there with 4 adorable baby Icelandic lambs. Just too cute. They were two sets of orphan twins, so she was feeding them with a bottle. When I told my dad about the festival and the lambies, his only question was, “So how many did you buy?” Only 1 darling little lamb. She will be coming to Frolic Farm in about a month, when she is old enough. I told another friend about the lambs, and his first question was exactly the same as my dad’s. So I guess I must be pretty predictable!

This Little Darling Still Needs a Name

Spring has sprung at Frolic Farm

Annette Johnston — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:43:09 +0000

The sheep have been sheared, and they are very happy to have their heavy winter coats off. Liam (the Icelandic sheep) was particularly pleased. They also had their hooves trimmed, and received their vaccinations (CD&T). The vet will be out soon to take care of the horse, llama, and mini donkey, and will give Liam a special shot to boost his selenium level. Everyone is fine.

Liam Jr. Enjoying Springtime a Little Bit Too Much

Annette Johnston — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:57:57 +0000

After having his huge coat shorn last week, little Liam the Icelandic sheep is feeling his oats with the nice spring weather. He is small enough now to crawl under the fence, and get into the horse pasture. He isn’t smart enough to crawl back in at night, though. He was upset that he was separated from his good buddy, Lambchop. I retrieved him, then set about making repairs to keep him in his own paddock with Lambchop. I have a solid farm fence, and one strand of electric fence that was apparently set too high to keep Liam in. So I moved it lower to keep them both away from the fence. Little Liam then got an unpleasant surprise when his nose touched the wire! I won’t have to worry about any more escapes now.

Liam Jr Posing this Fall

Annette Johnston — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:51:20 +0000

Here is a photo of my darling little Icelandic sheep, Liam Jr, taken in October 2008. He truly is a joy to have around. I’ll have to take a picture of him enjoying the snow here in Michigan. Liam lives with my beloved Lambchop. They share a small shed, and have 2 paddocks to roam around in.
It has been very cold and snowy here at Frolic Farm. It was 0 again this morning. The critters seem to do just fine.

Liam Lamb Makes a Hit at Vacation Bible School!

Annette Johnston — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:09:22 +0000

Last week, I hauled little Liam the lamb to Vacation Bible School, with two of his friends, Smokey the French Angora bunny, and Domino the chicken. Smokey and Domino are old pros at VBS, having attended for several years now. The 40 children took turns petting the critters. I was very glad that no one was bitten, pecked, or stepped on, including the kids. Smokey, who is a gorgeous, long-haired white bunny (with some grey on his back), was horrified when some of the children were eating drippy popcicles and attempted to pet him. I had to direct the children to wash their hands first. Domino the chicken made a break for it, when no one was looking, and I had to retrieve her out of the bushes. Little Liam was very well-behaved, and allowed all the children to pet him. It was a fun day, although a little hot. We stayed under the shade of a tree as much as possible. I was dressed as an authentic shepherdess, with my shepherd’s crook and straw hat.

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