Shawn the Sheep

We lost a family member this week.  Not in the usual way, but Shawn became a part of our family over the last few months.  He was ever present, even thought he didn't live with us.  We are still tender about our feelings about this process.

This year, Amanda raised and showed a lamb for her FFA project.  It took up a great deal of her time and very early mornings, but it was a great opportunity for her.  She learned responsibility and maturity in a much different way that we could have ever taught her.  

In April of 2013, we had to go to the Farm Bureau and Amanda had to apply for a loan from the Department of Agriculture.  I am grateful that they do these kinds of loans, as there was no other way we could afford the $420 it costs to purchase a lamb.  No other lending institution is willing to do these types of loans.  By May, Amanda had the check in her hand and she was ready to buy her lamb.

On the 13th of June the Kerman High School FFA students met together on the school farm and got to pick out their lambs.  It was done by seniority, so even though Amanda was a Junior, she had never shown before and that meant that she was at the bottom of the group of Juniors picking lambs.  They drew numbers for which of the Junior novices would pick first.  

One of the things that really impressed me was that these kids will all be competing against each other, yet they were so willing to show Amanda what she should be looking for and why.  They showed her how to feel the lamb's haunches and how to tell if it had good muscle tone, etc.

Amanda narrowed it down pretty quickly which lamb she wanted, and we were relieved that no one picked it before her.  It was a male lamb, a Natural breed, with a black face and legs and a mottled coat.  

It was difficult to get a hold of the lambs as they were so skittish at this point, jumping and running to get away from everyone.  Amanda got her lamb, with the help of Cory Molloy, her Ag advisor (and a very good friend of ours), and several of her friends.  She named it Shawn the Sheep, after the adorable lamb in the Wallace and Gromit shows.

There were two lambs in each pen, so the pen-partners decided who would take the morning feedings and who would take the evenings.  Amanda chose mornings, and so began the early morning feedings.  

Amanda has a zero period class this semester, which means she has to be at school at 7:00am, so she was getting up at 5:30am to get ready, go over to the farm and feed Shawn and then get to class on time.  Feeding the sheep involved weighing out an assigned amount of grain (this changed periodically depending on how well the lambs were putting on weight), mixed with an antibiotic (as some of the lambs were sick when they got there), and some hay.  Sometimes, when the lambs were not drinking enough water, they also added in some Lemon Lime Gatorade powder.  This made sure the lambs didn't get dehydrated or sick, and the lemon-lime is a flavor that they can't recognize over the taste of the feed.  The feed was hung on the fences in troughs and often the lambs had to be kept separate so that they were not eating each other's food.  Amanda would take Shawn out into the walkway to feed him so that when the lambs were given different weights of grain to eat, they would eat the right amount.  

This was also the time that the students had to become their lamb's shepherd.  They had to spend time with the lambs so that they would get used to their owners and be comfortable around them.  Amanda would often take a book and read near Shawn's trough so that he would get used to her presence.  

Then they got the animals used to having a halter on, and then the sheep practice began.  Once a week, and then more later on, the students would meet at the farm in the evening to practice "showing" their lambs.  In the judging arena you have to control your animal and hold them a certain way and you have to move and follow the judge as they move around the ring.  This takes a lot of practice, as the lambs are not always willing to calmly participate in the process.

There is also the responsibility of cleaning out the pens, raking up the mess, making sure the farm is clean and tidy.

Eventually the lambs need to be sheared.  The advisors do the initial one, but the kids learn quickly what to do and participate in the shearing that come after.  We kept a little bit of Shawn's wool, as there were a lot of different colors in his coat.  With the first shear, we were afraid that he might lose his mottling, but thankfully he was just as multi-colored underneath the wool, and it grew back the same.

This process continued all summer and into the school year.  At the beginning of school they had classes from different schools come to tour the farm and the students did the tours, answering questions for all the kids who came to the farm, including Rebecca, who is taking the Intro to Ag class at Kerman Middle School.

(Rebecca is on the right in the orange shirt)

Amanda occasionally complained affectionately about how stubborn Shawn was, how he bruised her or sneezed on her, etc.  Amanda knew she shouldn't get attached to her lamb, but it really is difficult not to when she spent so much time with him.  She talked to him and Shawn became what she referred to as her "therapist".  

As the Fresno Fair approached there were more frequent practices and we had to get all of Amanda's FFA uniform together.  We were able to find white jeans, even at the end of summer, and we were finally able to find the boots that Amanda liked.  It is interesting that in the mess of a barn, the FFA students are required to wear white, but it is like the white-glove test.  If they can keep white jeans clean in that environment, then they are showing their skills.

Amanda also sent out buyer's letters, asking if people were interested in purchasing her lamb or providing a top-off, which means that they would give extra money to help with the loan without purchasing the lamb.  There were several people, including grandparents, who offered top offs.  We all appreciated their generosity!  

The Fresno Fair started on the 2nd of October, and the Kerman FFA moved in on the 7th.  The signs were hung, the tags put on the fences, the sheep and pigs in the pens.

On Wednesday the 9th it was Market Day.  Amanda was going into the ring to show off Shawn.  She spent a lot of time getting Shawn cleaned up and looking pretty.  They even spray painted his hooves black.

She was in class 4 of the Natural lambs.  There were six lambs in this class.  There were three students from Kerman in this category.  Three students were moved to the side, including two from Kerman.  Amanda was with a group of three that the judge continued to look at.  He checked their flanks, the muscle tone down their backs, their stance, etc.  Eventually, Amanda was moved to the side, which meant she got third place.  The other two lambs who got first and second were really good lambs.  Amanda did really well for her first time to the Fair.

(Amanda didn't want me using the flash to take photos, so a lot of them are blurry)

One interesting part of the process is that prior to the Fair, Amanda had never worn make-up.  In the down time that the students had, one of Amanda's friends convinced her to allow her to do her makeup.  On Show days Amanda had braids and ribbons in her hair and make up on her face.  Who knew that a week in a barn would be what it took to get her all girly?!  Haha!

Thursday the 10th was Showmanship Day.  Amanda was eligible to show in two categories, one in the Junior/Senior Showmanship and the other in the Novice Showmanship, as this is Amanda's first year to show.  In the morning, Amanda showed in the Junior/Senior category.  There were many lambs in this category, and the judge moved them around the arena a lot.  It was fascinating to watch the wave of movement as the kids always turned to face the judge as me moved around the ring.  Sometimes they were bracing the lambs from the front, other times they were bent over, holding the lamb's face towards the judge.  Cory and I were standing next to each other and she told me that Amanda was doing really well.

Eventually four animals were moved to the side and then the rest, including Amanda, were left around the outside of the ring.  The judge went around to each of the remaining kids and talked to them individually to tell them why he hadn't chosen them.  I thought that was pretty cool, as a lot of times when you don't win something, you are not sure why, but this time they did.  When Amanda came out of the ring she said that the judge had told her that he would like to have seen Shawn's back haunches splayed out more.  

When we got back to the pen, Amanda went in with Shawn.  She held his face in her hands, looking him in the eye, and said, "You did so good!  I am so proud of you.  You did fantastic."  It was precious, and at that moment, I knew I was going to have a hard time emotionally when this was all over.

I left at this point to go get Kevin from work so that he could be there for one of the showings.  We got back as she was ringside for the Novice Showmanship.  Again, she went out into the ring with a lot of other lambs.  Again, she showed really well, holding Shawn exactly the way the judge had told her to.  Again, however, she was not chosen in the top four.  The judge came and spoke to her again, this time telling her that he wanted to see her holding Shawn's neck up better.  Amanda was understandably frustrated, but she did a good job and we are really proud of her.  

Saturday the 12th was Auction Day.  When we got to the Fair there was a number 494 painted on Shawn's hind-end.

We had to wait a few hours for Amanda's lot number to come up, but she made her way to the ring and then it was her turn.  It was interesting as she got into the ring, the announcer gave a short speech about how great it was to have representatives from Kerman every year and how much they do for the Fair.  Then it was Amanda's turn.  

 

Seconds later it was over.  Shawn was sold to Producer's Dairy Foods through a Buyer's Group for $3.75/lb.  Amanda led Shawn back to the pen and then went to shake the Buyer's Groups' hands and thanked them for purchasing her lamb and gave them her Buyer's Gift.  

Before we left, I went into the pen with Shawn.  After he calmed down and I could take his head in my hands, I whispered in his ear, thanking him for being such a good lamb and for all that he did for Amanda.  (This was definitely when I got emotional.)

The lambs that were bought by the Buyer's Group were brought back to the school farm for a short time.  They were not kept in pens, but were able to run free in the pasture.  Amanda got to go over on Sunday morning and help feed.  Out of 37 lambs, one ran directly to her.  She texted me with both a smiley and a sad face.  I know what she means.

This has been a wonderful experience and I am very grateful for the lessons Amanda, and all of us, learned this year.  Rebecca is looking forward to joining FFA next year and showing a lamb herself. Amanda is saving any extra money she receives from top offs so that she can buy her lamb outright next year.  She has learned responsibility, both in business and in life, and she is happily ready to do it again.  That is an important lesson!