This is the face of 350 pounds of emotion. 350 pounds of anger and frustration.
The face of a castrated giant who has decided that his raison d’etre is impregnating the ewes in the pasture next door.
I have had Ernie, or Big E as we call him, since he was just a lamb. He was born at Stone Barns while I working there and I fell in love with him the first time I laid eyes on him. He was a tiny thing back then, and needed bottle feeding- a task I quickly claimed as my own. Although all the animals at Stone Barns are bred for the table, livestock manager Craig Haney gifted me with Ernie when I got my own farm.
I had no idea that Little Ernie would grow into the behemoth he has become, or that his Cotswold fiber would be suited only for rugs, but I wouldn’t have cared anyway. He was my lamb from the moment we met; it was as meant to be as anything ever is.
Over the years, Ernie’s fan club grew right along with him. My mother thinks he hung the moon and he’s always a favorite with visitors due to his sweet disposition and trust of people. And other than eating us out of house and home- or field and barn- he has never given me one minute’s trouble till now.
Up till now, Big E has never shown the slightest interest in the ladies. At first we thought it was kind of funny to watch him standing by the gate all day, making kissy faces at the ewes in the next pasture, but now that Aldo is here, E has become a bit of a problem. If the ewes are within eyesight he rams the stock gate over and over again, trying to get to them. We put him in one of the horse stalls in the barn and he tried to jump over the four foot high half door! When we put him in with the lambs he even started making eyes at Feenat, who doesn’t even come up to his kneecap.
We’ve solved the problem with some creative pasturing but I tell you this- I will be glad when breeding season is over and all this lust in the air blows on out of here.
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21 Comments
I just spit coffee all over, picturing Ernie trying to jump ANYTHING: a fence, a ewe, a blade of grass.
I’ll bet this has something to do with Feenat…she’s quite the minx!
I can relate! We borrowed an icelandic ram to breed our sheep – his name was “rookie”. His NEW name is Rambo Mouflan. Lots and lots of blustery lust this time of year!
I love the top pic, it really shows how small feenat is compared to the “big man”…..I still can’t get over her cute knee caps!
ooohhhh poor Ernie. He just wants to share all the love we piled on him while we were there.
I can see though where his enthusiasm could be a bit destructive. Hopefully soon things will settle down for him.
Poor Ernie!!
Between Ernie’s story and Linda, who will be so sad when the other girls have their lambs.
I picture Ernie and Linda sharing their sad stories
over drinks at the local trough…….;-(
That farm has more lust than a romance novel right now! Oh my heavens.
Poor Ernie! I hope he doesn’t hurt himself trying to bash his way out of the barn or the pasture!
Poor, dear Ernie! I love Carolyn’s comment — just what I was thinking! Ernie and Linda have their tales of woe, don’t they…
This post represents why I am addicted to this blog. I mean really – too funny, too adorable and a glimpse of into life at the Farm. Thank you so much Shepherd Susie!
I love his face. What a wonderful beast.
Oh how frustrating for all involved. I have a pet wether too, named Boomer. He also thinks he is a ram when the ram is not around, even though he is lacking some essential equipment. We take away their nummers but not their brains, you know. Fortunately he is not fighting with Miracle, just standing around looking mildly miffed when the girls prefer the guy with the goods. But at Earnie’s weight, he could do some real damage, so you are wise to protect your rented ram. (My real problem child is Oreo my Nubian buck–a 4 ft barrier wouldn’t even make him break stride. The opposite side of the farm where there is less love pheromone in the air and an electric mesh fence a couple feet inside of a wire mesh fence have been the only thing that has slowed him down). Holy cow,it looks warm there–we’ve had 3 inches of snow today.
350 pounds of biological imperative could prove to be quite a mess. You guys be careful, and watch your backs until the fever breaks. Poor Ernie. Winter will be here soon, with it’s freezing temperatures, wind and snow, to cool your inappropriate and misapplied ardor.
Oh poor Ernie! It must be so hard for him to have Aldo there. Feenat looks so tiny next to him.
I started crying that is so funny! Not from your perspective with a horny(?) sheep. LOL. Poor Ernie..
LOL, I love the line “all this lust in the air blows on out of here”. Will try to work that into a novel someday…
poor big e! his masculenity finally kicked in!
That first picture is hilarious, with enormous Ernie and tiny little Feenat orbiting around him . . .
poor e…he finally figures out what it is all about and ….poor e.
I’m feeling the sexual tension from here. Wow. Poor Ernie, he’s like Scarlett O’Hara. He only wants what he can’t have. I get it.
Saltpeter?
ernie needs a girlfriend. isn’t there somebody that you could spare? the thought of poor ernie … all alone …