I don’t know how it happened but after ten years, this lambing season snuck up on me.
Actually, maybe I do know how it happened. See, I put the Draco, our ram yearling, in with the ewes for two weeks, beginning on October 13th. That gave us a lambing window March 3rd through April 8th. The only problem was that the ewes didn’t look bred to me. They just weren’t getting as large as they usually do and I was about half convinced that our ram was shooting blanks.
Honestly, I was dreading coming here and telling you all that there would be no lambs this year, but I had kind of gotten used to the idea. Then, on Monday, I had all the sheep in the barn for a pre-Spring worming, and while I was at it, I checked the girls for udder development. KAPOW! We have lamby buns in the lots of ovens.
The only trouble is that I am not convinced that these ladies are due in a month; they just don’t seem that far along to me. It’s entirely possible that Mr. Sneaky Ram resorted to some self-help in November or December, which stinks. Not knowing when lambs are coming is almost as bad no lambs at all. I have a truly insane amount of stuff going on in the next few months, which is why I tried to schedule an early lambing this year.
More on all that later, though. Right now, it’s time to nominate this year’s naming convention! As you may remember, Juniper Moon Farm’s lambs are always named according to a convention chosen by our readers. The first step is to open the floor to nominations. Are you ready?
Let’s hear your best ideas! Before the lambs start hitting the ground we will put it to a vote.
{ 73 comments }
Trying to think of new conventions or circling backs to previous contenders that were not chosen. ok, here goes:
Crayola crayon names, including retired ones?
Characters from the Grimm fairy tales?
Characters from star Trek, Lord of the Rings, star Wars?
Shakespeare characters?
Okay, since I am at work and deal w/ medical issues… All the diseases every one thought Susan had before she was finally correctly diagnosed?
How about after all the folks that physically helped you at the farm while you were off being finally correctly diagnosed? (you had lots and lots and lots of positive energy flowing your way but the folks that got down and dirty deserve a lamb named after them…)
Sorry, my brain is not in ‘clever’ mode but it is going back to the “sweat equity” share, still think you should offer a ‘come work your butt off for a week at the farm” especially since lambing season may be longer (or is it just later?) than you expect… Glad to hear there will be babies… Can you turn the oven up so they come out sooner???
I can’t remember what the previous naming conventions were. So I am going to suggest,gemstones and or types of rock, names either latin or common of flowers trees or shrubs, you could even do varietals of one particular (insert flower, tree, or shrub) for sheep and varietal of something different for goats. I would be happy to help with the research involved
Just for the record I like daffodils, and grapes.
Types of wine: Cabernet, merlot, Bordeaux, shiraz, Pinot, etc….
Hmmm, how about Ice Cream Flavors? Downton Abby characters? Cookies?
I think I may be hungry!
I’ll second the Downton Abbey characters.
My daughter votes for “Characters from Dora the Explorer”
My son suggests “Names chosen from Minecraft”
My husband seconds “Star Wars characters”
I suggest characters from breakfast cereals.
Islands and Capes: Hatteras (my personal favorite), Cape Lookout, Cape Henry, Cape Breton, Ocracoke Island, Harkers Island, Prince Edward Island, Nantucket Island, Fishers Island, Edisto Island, Tangier Island, Smith Island, Magdalen Islands, Sable Island, Elizabeth Islands, There are so many islands around the world you could choose an area to use names from. I brainstormed islands/capes from the Atlantic area. Islands also have male or female names so you could have a good pool to choose from as the lambs are born.
Parks & Recreation
I love the downton idea! I’d also renew the nomination for roman or Greek gods & goddesses.
How about the names of different knitting stitches, like moss, seed, cable, brioche, linen, etc?
How about types of cookies? Wouldn’t you love to have a lamb called Snickerdoodle?
I like Shakespeare characters! Also stars – your next big ram could be Betelgeuse!
I’m drawn to the idea of characters from Shakespeare — in particular Midsummer’s Night Dream (its so pastoral!) and I love the names in that play — Titania, Oberon, Puck, Bottom! They are wonderful – - can’t you hear yourself calling them out?
National or state capitals? Paris, Ankara, Juneau, Richmond, etc.
How about artists? Hockney, Kitaj, Turner, Piper,Picasso,Monet, Renoir, Chagall and on and on.
Holy Moley, it’s Lambie time Already???
Sorry folks, I have to jump on the Downton bandwagon here, because seriously, who wouldn’t want to see a ridiculously cute Mr. Bates and Anna sproinging all over the paddock??!!
Not sure what you’ve done before either, but I offer spices. Girls: Rosemary, Ginger, Cardamon. Boys: Dill, Poppy, Curry. Chervil, Turmeric, and Saffron make more exotic options.
I’m with Lyn, there neeeeeds to be a lamb named Carson too.
Yay for lambing season!
Rivers or lakes – lots of options; gemstones / rocks – since their fleece is so precious to us all!
Spices?
Oh, I see someone got there before me with spices. How about kinds of stones — diamond, ruby, sapphire, quartz, jade, tourmaline, etc., etc.?
Aw, I love the Downton Abbey idea! And, having lived for three years on the island of Crete, I’m pretty partial to the islands one too. And cookies! Everyone has such good ideas!
Mine: names from Simon & Garfunkel songs. Cecilia, Scarborough Fair, ok- actually it doesn’t seem like there’s enough names in there. Little Simon and Garfunkel lambs would make me happy though.
Islands and Capes! Very clever and I second the Downton Abbey idea too!
Agreed Jenn!! Ooh ooh and my current pitter patter du jour, Mr. Branson! And, Mrs. Patmore, and, Daisy, and, and, and……
I love the cookie idea or gods/goddesses. Downton seems a bit overdone to me.
Joss Whedon characters: Buffy, Spike, Mal, Inara, Shepherd Book hahahaha
National Parks. Who wouldn’t love a sheep named Denali? Or Biscayne? Or Carlsbad? Guadalupe, Haleakalā. Joshua, Katmai, Shenandoah? Heck you could name one Teddy Roosevelt!
I love the cookie idea; I also love flower names, and how about our favorite cartoon characters, like Mickie and Minnie, Tom and Jerry, and Alvin and his friends! There are so many cute options.
Ooh, I like the national parks idea!
You know what they say, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. It would seem Draco had his own agenda. I’m always available to come down and help, just give a shout.
I concur with those nominating names from Downton Abbey; they’re such memorable characters, it would be a shame not to mark this time in our popular culture.
Im not a Christian, but I think the Pope’s first resignation in 600 yrs is noteworthy enough to nominate Pope names for lambs. Everyone would love John Paul Im sure. I also like artists’ names (ol’ art major here), and maybe epic storm names?
Muppets! I just really want to meet a sheep named”Piggy”
Famous scientists – Curie, Einstein, Schrodinger, Fermi, Fleming, McClintock, etc.
National Parks- a large Ram named Denali!!!!
Capes and Coves is great too!
I really like past Ed Sullivan characters Sherri and ‘Lambchops’
tee hee that would never be!
How about unusual color names? Aero, Areolin, Byzantine, Carmine, Ceil, Coquelicot, Fandango, Gamboge, Grullo…
wow! lots of fun suggestions
hmmmm……
did we do famous scientists yet?
curie
tesla
einstein
franklin
bunsen
Presidents and First Ladies. Or famous cabinet members.
Grammy winners.
Also who ever said wines….I like that.
I suggest weeds: Thistle, Tansy, Henbit, Foxtail, Daisy, Chervil, Chicory, Buttercup, Groundsel, Mullein, Sorrel…
how about constellations and/or heavenly bodies
My first thought was National Parks (Glacier, Yellowstone, Denali) — but somebody already said it — rats. Then I put my thinking cap on:
Games: Scrabble, Jenga (maybe not Hungry, Hungry Hippo though)
Catholic Saints: Francis, Bernadette, Kateri Tekakwitha (just Kateri?), ad infinitum
Cities: Dallas, Chicago, Savannah (you don’t have to use my hometown of Huntington Beach though)
Cocktails: Manhattan (dual purpose), Bijou, Zombie, Gibson, Gimlet, (not Bloody Mary!)
Colleges: Villanova, Yale, Concordia, Excelsior (again, wouldn’t use mine: San Diego State University — a little awkward for a lamb)
Flowers: Daisy, Rose, Freesia, Amaryllis
Ski Resorts: Sundance, Heavenly, Whistler, Vail, Breckenridge
Weather: Tornado, Blizzard, Chinook, Santa Ana (after our hot winds), Derechoe, Twister, Fog, El Nino, Freshet, Gale, Rainbow
Thanks — that was fun!
I think breeds of cats would be fun…formal and informal. Tabby, tuxedo, calico, ginger, marmalade, tortoiseshell, etc. I think a little lamb named Scottish Fold would be adorable!
Another option…types of fabrics! Satin, taffeta, corduroy, cotton, silk, brocade,
fleece (!), chenille, denim…so many choices and good names for boys and girls!
If Downton is too twee (and I don’t think it is!) could you do Favourite British tv characters? Foyle, Lindley, Marple, Lewis, Jeeves & Wooster, Patsy & Edina, etc.
As someone who got to sit in the stalls and watch the fence-line and wake up at oh-dark-thirty to check on the birthing last April, I can say it was a chance of a lifetime. While I would have loved to be there when we had a birth just being part of the process in Fall 2011 when the ewes got green- crayoned-hindquarters & then be back in the Spring 2012 to wait was a really fine time. Even now I smile at all the experiences Juniper Moon Farm presents.
Yay! Ski resorts! Sounds like way cool fun!
Wow — so many suggestions. Time to vote? How many names do you typically need? Downton Abbey & the folks who helped you out get my votes. How ’bout a lamb for Oona (the That’s just the way I live girl
no matter what?
I’d like to see lambs named after Lord of the Rings characters. Doesn’t Elbereth just sound delightful?
Or, if you’d like to really amuse the geeks, name them after Star Wars characters. Spock! Riker! Troi! Janeway!
Uh… let’s try that one again. STAR TREK characters.
Clearly, it’s past my bedtime.
I like the weed names, they sound so lamby. Also apple varieties? Winesap, Snow, Jonathan, or did you do that one year? I could go with National Parks.
Oh Tolkien definitely. Love that idea.
Presidents and first ladies!
I really like the idea of apple varities and weeds. They somehow “go” together. Presidents and first ladies is fun, too, and a bit more accessible for those of us how haven’t climbed on the Downton Abbey bandwagaon yet.
I’ll also throw out college mascots. There are a ton to choose from and include masculine, feminine, and unisex names. There are even a few “couples” if you have boy/girl twins! I’m personally partial to Hokie, but I can see an Uga, Bevo, Blizzard, Gladys, and Puddles! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_mascots_in_the_United_States
Downton, for sure. I’m also partial to cookies (brownie! macaroon!) and colors. It may be inconvenient, but you can’t be sorry to see lambs–it’s like my friend told me when a homeless cat was in the process of volunteering to be in our family–”when the universe offers you a gift, you can’t say no.” (I’m glad we didn’t say no to the cat–he’s a lovely guy).
Irish counties!!!
Armagh, Derry, Galway, Mayo, Kerry, Offaly……
Two conventions:
Mushrooms: Morel, Porcini, Portabella(o), Enoki, Oyster, Shittake, Crimini, Chanterelle, Agaricus
Daffodils (Celebrate spring!): Jetfire, Sentinel, Thalia, Quail, Sorbet, Barrett Browning, Jack Snipe, Sovereign, Romance, Tahiti, PetitFour, Havera, Merlin and White Lion
Yay spring lambs!! Yay lamb-cam!
OOoooo I’m loving Irish Counties, there’s so much variety! They all have such personality and roll off the tongue (at least to this Welsh girl!)
How about naming them after Beatle’s songs…. Lady Madonna, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Hey Jude, Lovely Rita, Sgt. Pepper, Revolution, Ob La Di-Ob La Da (for twins) among many others.
I’m enjoying reading all the suggestions for naming the lambs, but I’ve got a different kind of question. I’m wondering what kind of sheep are shown in the last picture – the two that look white and soft and fluffy and not so curly.
Eileen, the two sheep in the last picture are Callum and Feenat and they are Icelandics. They belong to Erin, our first farm manager.
Cookies (lacey, shortbread, oatmeal, raisin, gingerbread) and Cakes (angel’s , shortcake, pound, coffee, upside-down)… that’s my suggestion this year. Good luck picking some finalists!
I LOVE Presidents and First Ladies!
National Parks and Downton Abbey get my vote!
I confess a bias here, since I live in Scotland, but how about some Scottish Islands?
I’m thinking Islay, Jura, Inchcolm, Raasay, Skye, Papa Stour, Vaila…………
I love the idea of Beatles’ songs. Then there is always members of the pasta family —
tortellini, fettucini, ravioli, capellini, farfalle (I love the idea of a lamb named Farfalle!), rotini…..
I think you should either name them after pasta (as Jennifer said), but maybe you could name them after friuts and flowers!! ex: blueberry, daisy, blackberry, etc. You could even combine them : huckleberryrose!!! huckleberry finn:)
There’s a 007 film marathon on one of the channels, which gave me a couple of suggestions:
Bond Girls – either the character’s names or the actresses who played them. You could have a lamb named Pussy. Or Galore.
Bond villians
Actors who played James Bond offer several first or last names.
I think I’ve proposed it before, but I’ll say it again…
Elements. From the periodic table.
Some come from names originally, and can easily be shortened back:
Rutherfordium
Curium
Fermium
Meitnerium
Einsteinium
Others come from other languages or sources, but are easily shortened to nice names:
Molybdenum
Ruthenium
Berylium
Barium
A few have ties to mythology:
Tantalum
Niobium
Mercury
Thorium
and some are just kinda cute:
Boron, Neon, Nickel, Copper, Zinc.
And, conveniently, they all have 1 or 2 letter abbreviations. Very nice when you’re tagging photos or writing notes.
I love the weeds idea & the knitting stitches idea.
Downton is great & all, but will we really be that into it when it’s been off of the air for half a year?
What about famous sidekicks? From either TV or comic books.
Brilliant suggestions already: Tolkein, parks, islands, scientists, mushrooms, muppets & cocktails! (among others)
I think poets, explorers, superhero secret identities, and types of tea could be fun. Darjeeling, Chamomile, Gunpowder and Peppermint are all out in the meadow…
How many ewes are likely to be bred? Figuring that some will have single lambs and some will have twin lambs, how many lambs do you expect? That kind of makes a difference in what naming convention to choose since some categories have a small finite number of names and other have a lot. And some have a lot but most are not very common (so kind of hard to remember).
Re, mushroom names–I have a goat named Amanita. Those who know their mushrooms will understand that I was not very happy with her the day I named her….