Aphrodite was born on Valentine’s day, to my first Jacob ewe, Athena. All of Athena’s lambs are named after Greek mythological figures, and since “Aphrodite” is the name of the Greek goddess of love, it made an obvious name choice for a lamb born on Valentine’s day.
Aphrodite has a very beautiful face, which is also befitting of her name 🙂
This is a picture of the day Aphrodite was born – it was my third lambing (second at my farm), I was almost 14 years old at the time.
Fibre Folds Patrick, Aphrodite’s sire (and my first ram)
Aphrodite was born with a hair type coat (still Jacob-y, just mostly wavy hair), which she outgrew after her first shearing. Almost all of Aphrodite’s lambs have had this very primitive hair type birth fleece and later shed out. I believe Aphrodite got this primitive trait from her sire, as he had a very primitive fleece type – shedding out belly wool partially when left too long and developing a ram beard/mane in the fall.
Aphrodite at one week old – she’s come a long way!
Aphrodite is a very brave and affectionate ewe, often coming right up to see the sheepdog or to ask for ear scratches from me (especially when she is pregnant) – the other day Aphrodite and Kymy the goat were fighting over who got to have their chin scratched first. Aphrodite is also the only ewe on the farm who will jump up like a goat to get the grain bucket. After she jumps up, she hooks her horns into the bucket, and when she falls back down, she takes the bucket (and usually me!) with her. To avoid this, I have learned to carry the bucket over my head when Aphrodite is around 😉
Aphrodite can be quite unladylike at times (feeding time in particular…)
Aphrodite nursing her twin ewes from 2013 – she is such a good mamma!
Aphrodite is the oldest of Athena’s daughters (there was a single ram and a single ewe before her). Aphrodite turned 8 years old today (Happy Birthday Aphrodite!!!). She is an excellent mother, usually having twins and raising them well on pasture alone.
This year Aphrodite had twin ewe lambs by Kenleigh’s Callaghan:
Eris,
and Atalanta.
They take after their beautiful mother 😉