I know it's been awhile since I wrote here but I didn't realize just how much time has passed. Thanks Mom for alerting me to this.
The end of the beginning
Butterscotch started us off with our first lambing in April 2014. She had twins then and each year after. I kept her first female lamb from 2014, and another one in 2015. The first female I named Bella after Isabella, one of the women from whom I learned about sheep as a teen. Bella is a lovely sheep, bigger than her small mother, and also a good mother. And Bella bellows; she has a big voice. She likes pats on the head.
This year Butterscotch had twin boys. She had some udder issues which I think I wrote about before. The udder got better. The bottle supplementing of the boys became unnecessary. Butterscotch however remained thin. So, in July I pulled her out of the flock along with Marmalade. Marmalade has no teeth so she is much older than I realized. Butterscotch still has her teeth, and one set of baby teeth which indicates she is likely about four years of age. Good mothers that consistently have twins each year, I wanted to give them some TLC and get some weight back on them. So, these ewes and their lambs became my TLC group.
After awhile I removed the lambs from them. It was time to wean them and Butterscotch was not gaining. Marmalade had gained and was ready to return to the flock, however I kept her with Butterscotch for company.
At this point there were some other symptoms of illness in Butterscotch. I won't gross you out with all of the details, however, working with the vet, test results indicated a coccidiosis infection. We treated her twice with two different prescriptions and the test results showed a worsening. This took place over several months and by now Butterscotch was on her own, inside, thinner and weaker. A decision had to be made and we made it. We euthanized her. It wasn't what I expected to be using my rifle for. I felt very positive about this as Butterscotch needed help to move on to her next journey - this expression shared with me by the vet staff really helped.
Mucking out
Some times I wear my orange hat while riding Oz the orange tractor. I know, it's Halloween too..... Well, Oz has been getting a good workout as we muck out the Big Barn. In the past I do this in summer but summer was so incredible hot that many things did not get done. Now that it's cooler - way cooler some days, cool enough to wear that bright orange hat - the job is getting done.
As of this morning I am also completely finished. I'm working on the corners where Oz cannot get to. So, I get the bucket about half full, manipulating the bucket to loosen the layers in the corner, then I back up a bit and pick at it and fill the bucket by hand.
I have found most of this task rather boring. Riding the tractor one morning I became very chillled as there was a sharp north wind and even with that orange hat I was not moving my body enough to keep warm. Oz did all the work. So, as much as I felt bored I thought through the enormity of what I was completing. That Oz was picking up in a few minutes what would take me twenty minutes to toss into a numerous wheelbarrows and dump into the garden.
Yes, this is great garden fodder. Putting it on now it will decompose and get tilled into the soil in the spring.
The two box stalls in the small barn are done by hand. I have completed one. The other, larger stall I am hoping to utilize Oz for completion. I can get the bucket inside the large doorway of the barn and fill it by hand. I may have to use the wheelbarrow to get it from deep in the stall to the bucket. It's still a short distance to push the wheelbarrow. Oz's help is appreciated.
Fruits
There have been many fruits to harvest this year, despite the drought conditions of the summer. Yet, we did have many things that did not do well or did not produce at all. What we did have kept me busy enough.
Squash once again did super well. When I bought some heritage tomato plants the man gave me two started squash plants. He thought they were spaghetti squash or some other kind. I kept referring to them as spaghetti squash until I finally realized they are delicata. They are very lovely to eat and I continue to serve them like spaghetti squash. There were lots of delicata and butternut squash.
Although production was down I still managed to get enough zucchini to make several double batches of relish.
I grew corn this year for the first time. I'll grow it another year and hope for a much improved product. What we had was quite tasty. I grew it in patches among the squash in a very large expanded section just for these vine crops.
Last year's melon crop consisted of ONE. This year, since the squashy section was much improved and larger and the melon was not usurped by other vine types of plants, we had lots of delicious cantelope. We ate the last, fist sized one at Thanksgiving. I cut it into 8 slices and we each got a nibble.
We found apple trees we did not know we had. It was a bumper crop. Sister and I made several batches of apple sauce. I made more. I put some in the beet - apple chutney I made - with store bought beets. Hubby has trimmed up the young apple tree so as to nurture it along. The most tasty tree did not have apples in the past. And we could not reach the fruit but gathered windfalls from underneath where the pond had dried up. Who knows what next year will bring.
I have yet to finish harvesting the potatoes. And I must get the garlic in.
Happy Birthday Mom
So, thanks again Mom for the reminder to get to my blog. And, Mom, Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday!!
Monday, 31 October 2016
Sunday, 31 July 2016
Way behind....
I'm still here. Just way behind on keeping the blog updated.
I guess most people think summer is quiet and relaxing. It is. But, it can be busy too. Before summer is spring and it is very busy on a farm. Lambing took us from March to April. Then in May and June we were dealing with the veggie garden and its challenges. Now it is the end of July. And it has been very very hot. Yes, it's a drought and any farmer will tell you so.
So, here are some stories about what's been going on....
The Landing
She landed on my head. It's good that I am usually wearing a hat. It was morning and perhaps she was not quite awake. I was putting out feed for the hens. She - a hen - was on the roost to my right while I was pouring out feed on my left and ahead of me. And she flew through the air and landed on my head.
No gifts were left behind, thankfully. I shook a bit. Or, maybe I knocked my hat off. Or, maybe she took my hat with her as she fell to the ground. In stride, I righted my hat and continued with my morning chores, thinking, "that's never happened before."
Maremma Update
My friend ED dubbed Millie the "reluctant sheepdog" and this does fit - although I am reluctant to apply it so. Yet, truly it fits. However, finally, Millie is becoming the sheepdog we expected her to be when she arrived three years ago.
With consistency she is now happy and expects to return to the sheep flock area when she arrives from an outing. Recently, Millie and Ruby had returned to sleeping the day away under the house verandah. I put up electric fence around the house and this immediately stopped. It's hot and the dogs do find it cool during the day to sleep under the verandah. However, they are barn dogs and there are cool places near the barn, and they have found those cool places.
Ruby pushes the limits a bit further as she can jump out and into the barnyard as she desires. Yet, she knows I want her back in the barnyard. Lately when she gets out she avoids me, as if I don't see her there.
If I tell them to "Git with your sheep", they know what that means. Ruby will usually "git" by jumping over the fence, or going in through the gate I open. Millie knows now that the verandah is off limits. Yep, back in with the sheep is the place to be, and she heads straight there.
Coyotes we hear many evenings. The dogs bark a lot. They are not carrying on and getting out a lot. Ruby can and will jump out and in. Millie finally discovered the doggie door we made for her in the fence. She has learned to get out, safely, through this opening. This is much easier on her hips. She has not, however, learned about returning to the barnyard that way. Yet, often Millie will just stay in where she should be.
Usually, the dogs go out to the pasture with the sheep in the morning. About a half hour to one and a half hours later, the dogs return via the front of the house. They sleep all day. After five o'clock dinner they are more alert. After 7:30 / 8:00 o'clock snacks the dogs are awake and wary. Ruby will usually stay out in the pasture with the sheep. The sheep come in by nine. At night the dogs bark to ward off coyotes, etc. In the morning the dogs are waiting for me to feed them at eight. Millie leads the sheep out. Ruby goes out with Millie or follows the sheep. Henrietta the llama is very last. The dogs explore fields, follow scents and tracks, etc., and return at about 9:30. Then they sleep.
Lambskin Rugs
As we evolve so does our production. The first lamb skin rugs have been received from the tannery. This has been a learning experience. I had forgotten how much salt it takes to prep a skin. As a result, many have been discarded. I had a huge number as the butcher let me take as many as I wanted last year. Now I mostly have a pile of useless skins.
However the first lot back from the tannery is lovely. I sent six and they had to discard two. I received back four, with only one machine washable. There was "slippage" on several where the wool fell out - from insufficient salt in the preparation.
Another batch of six has been sent off for tanning. The process takes a minimum of four months. So, perhaps they will be back in time for Christmas sales.
Wool
The first spinning fleece ewes were clipped this spring. That is the ewes sired by the Birch the spinning ram. The income from their wool is about double that of the nicer non-spinning fleeced ewes I have. Still, spinners don't like to get dirty. It is a lot of work to prepare an entire fleece for spinning. There are small woollen mills around where I can get wool processed. Like the rugs though, this all takes some cash up front for processing. With each processing step the sale price goes up.
It's a lot of work to organize these processing steps. I'd rather just sell the whole fleece as it comes off of the sheep. Right now my house is full of fibre, mostly that I kept for myself. I don't know when I will ever spin all of this wool. And then there is this year's wool I am storing in the freezer. But soon I have to move it for the meat....
Heat
There's been a lot of that this year. It is a drought. Many areas around the farm are quite parched. Neighbours tell me their pasture is done. We are very fortunate that we have so much land that we have not used yet. That is, we are not grazing to capacity, so we have lots of eating left here.
The sheep are bothered by the heat too. They go out to pasture around eight in the morning. Recall that many coyote attacks occurred here in the morning, so I wait. I enjoy my morning coffee before taking the sheep out. The Maremmas go first and check the field. Henrietta comes up last. The sheep return to the barn about 9:30. They drink lots of water and if it's really hot they will rest in the shade in and around the barn.
Some of their best grazing time is in the evening when it cools down. I stopped going out and gathering them at eight in the evening as they were eating well. They bring themselves in by nine. After snacks at 7:30 or so, I take Ruby out to check the flock and she usually stays out with them. This gives me confidence in letting them come back in on their own.
Visitors
We have enjoyed many visitors so far over the summer. Whether here for a weekend or an afternoon, I stop and enjoy the verandah. I don't get under the verandah like the Maremmas do. I sit up top in a comfy chair. And sometimes, as in the photo above, we enjoy an amazing sunset. Many hours too have I spent this summer sitting at my spinning wheel on the verandah. It is just lovely!
I guess most people think summer is quiet and relaxing. It is. But, it can be busy too. Before summer is spring and it is very busy on a farm. Lambing took us from March to April. Then in May and June we were dealing with the veggie garden and its challenges. Now it is the end of July. And it has been very very hot. Yes, it's a drought and any farmer will tell you so.
So, here are some stories about what's been going on....
The Landing
She landed on my head. It's good that I am usually wearing a hat. It was morning and perhaps she was not quite awake. I was putting out feed for the hens. She - a hen - was on the roost to my right while I was pouring out feed on my left and ahead of me. And she flew through the air and landed on my head.
No gifts were left behind, thankfully. I shook a bit. Or, maybe I knocked my hat off. Or, maybe she took my hat with her as she fell to the ground. In stride, I righted my hat and continued with my morning chores, thinking, "that's never happened before."
Maremma Update
My friend ED dubbed Millie the "reluctant sheepdog" and this does fit - although I am reluctant to apply it so. Yet, truly it fits. However, finally, Millie is becoming the sheepdog we expected her to be when she arrived three years ago.
With consistency she is now happy and expects to return to the sheep flock area when she arrives from an outing. Recently, Millie and Ruby had returned to sleeping the day away under the house verandah. I put up electric fence around the house and this immediately stopped. It's hot and the dogs do find it cool during the day to sleep under the verandah. However, they are barn dogs and there are cool places near the barn, and they have found those cool places.
Ruby pushes the limits a bit further as she can jump out and into the barnyard as she desires. Yet, she knows I want her back in the barnyard. Lately when she gets out she avoids me, as if I don't see her there.
If I tell them to "Git with your sheep", they know what that means. Ruby will usually "git" by jumping over the fence, or going in through the gate I open. Millie knows now that the verandah is off limits. Yep, back in with the sheep is the place to be, and she heads straight there.
Coyotes we hear many evenings. The dogs bark a lot. They are not carrying on and getting out a lot. Ruby can and will jump out and in. Millie finally discovered the doggie door we made for her in the fence. She has learned to get out, safely, through this opening. This is much easier on her hips. She has not, however, learned about returning to the barnyard that way. Yet, often Millie will just stay in where she should be.
Usually, the dogs go out to the pasture with the sheep in the morning. About a half hour to one and a half hours later, the dogs return via the front of the house. They sleep all day. After five o'clock dinner they are more alert. After 7:30 / 8:00 o'clock snacks the dogs are awake and wary. Ruby will usually stay out in the pasture with the sheep. The sheep come in by nine. At night the dogs bark to ward off coyotes, etc. In the morning the dogs are waiting for me to feed them at eight. Millie leads the sheep out. Ruby goes out with Millie or follows the sheep. Henrietta the llama is very last. The dogs explore fields, follow scents and tracks, etc., and return at about 9:30. Then they sleep.
Lambskin Rugs
As we evolve so does our production. The first lamb skin rugs have been received from the tannery. This has been a learning experience. I had forgotten how much salt it takes to prep a skin. As a result, many have been discarded. I had a huge number as the butcher let me take as many as I wanted last year. Now I mostly have a pile of useless skins.
However the first lot back from the tannery is lovely. I sent six and they had to discard two. I received back four, with only one machine washable. There was "slippage" on several where the wool fell out - from insufficient salt in the preparation.
Another batch of six has been sent off for tanning. The process takes a minimum of four months. So, perhaps they will be back in time for Christmas sales.
Wool
The first spinning fleece ewes were clipped this spring. That is the ewes sired by the Birch the spinning ram. The income from their wool is about double that of the nicer non-spinning fleeced ewes I have. Still, spinners don't like to get dirty. It is a lot of work to prepare an entire fleece for spinning. There are small woollen mills around where I can get wool processed. Like the rugs though, this all takes some cash up front for processing. With each processing step the sale price goes up.
It's a lot of work to organize these processing steps. I'd rather just sell the whole fleece as it comes off of the sheep. Right now my house is full of fibre, mostly that I kept for myself. I don't know when I will ever spin all of this wool. And then there is this year's wool I am storing in the freezer. But soon I have to move it for the meat....
Heat
There's been a lot of that this year. It is a drought. Many areas around the farm are quite parched. Neighbours tell me their pasture is done. We are very fortunate that we have so much land that we have not used yet. That is, we are not grazing to capacity, so we have lots of eating left here.
The sheep are bothered by the heat too. They go out to pasture around eight in the morning. Recall that many coyote attacks occurred here in the morning, so I wait. I enjoy my morning coffee before taking the sheep out. The Maremmas go first and check the field. Henrietta comes up last. The sheep return to the barn about 9:30. They drink lots of water and if it's really hot they will rest in the shade in and around the barn.
Some of their best grazing time is in the evening when it cools down. I stopped going out and gathering them at eight in the evening as they were eating well. They bring themselves in by nine. After snacks at 7:30 or so, I take Ruby out to check the flock and she usually stays out with them. This gives me confidence in letting them come back in on their own.
Visitors
We have enjoyed many visitors so far over the summer. Whether here for a weekend or an afternoon, I stop and enjoy the verandah. I don't get under the verandah like the Maremmas do. I sit up top in a comfy chair. And sometimes, as in the photo above, we enjoy an amazing sunset. Many hours too have I spent this summer sitting at my spinning wheel on the verandah. It is just lovely!
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Creative work
Innovation
I love to re-purpose things; to figure out a problem or challenge; to make something work. Here are some examples.
Re-purposed, the hose reel has been an amazing time saver for putting up and taking down strands of electric fence. No masses of knots that take hours to unravel. Set up and take down is a pleasant experience.
We found the first pool ladder at the dump at the "treasure table". Hubby's first thought was we could use it to traverse the strands of electric fence behind the house to get the bridge to go for a hike. Then we realized it 'fits' over the electric netting. And so I have recently acquired another pool ladder and put it to work behind the barn.
I like the barn but I don't sleep there. Sister had a small futon that she no longer used and it had previously belonged to Brother. Down to the farm it travelled. I found this idea on-line and I built it into a hay feeder. It doesn't get much use now since we switched to the large bales, however I still use it sometimes.
Fauna
Turtle activity this year so far has been limited, unlike a great deal of activity and many sightings in our first spring here. This snapping turtle walked through the barnyard one morning. From the house it was a cat with an odd gait.
Later in the day I was sitting in the front room and observed a relative walking up the driveway. He seemed to be on a mission with a determination to his stride.
This frog was found one morning in the barnyard. He is perched on a concrete block that holds the hen house door ajar. If you look closely the grey colour on his underside matches the block well. He stayed there for a good part of the day.
Shearing
We grow fluff here and the amount is ever increasing. I must say that the quality of this year's yearling fleeces is just wonderful. The goal of "prettying up the fleece" is working. The spinners who helped on shearing day "ooo-ed" and "awed" more than the previous year.
It was a very long day to shear 30 sheep and one llama. The guy is careful with the animals but not known for speed.
Interestingly nature also re-purposes as needed.
I love to re-purpose things; to figure out a problem or challenge; to make something work. Here are some examples.
- the hose reel
Re-purposed, the hose reel has been an amazing time saver for putting up and taking down strands of electric fence. No masses of knots that take hours to unravel. Set up and take down is a pleasant experience.
- the pool ladder
We found the first pool ladder at the dump at the "treasure table". Hubby's first thought was we could use it to traverse the strands of electric fence behind the house to get the bridge to go for a hike. Then we realized it 'fits' over the electric netting. And so I have recently acquired another pool ladder and put it to work behind the barn.
- futon
I like the barn but I don't sleep there. Sister had a small futon that she no longer used and it had previously belonged to Brother. Down to the farm it travelled. I found this idea on-line and I built it into a hay feeder. It doesn't get much use now since we switched to the large bales, however I still use it sometimes.
Fauna
Turtle activity this year so far has been limited, unlike a great deal of activity and many sightings in our first spring here. This snapping turtle walked through the barnyard one morning. From the house it was a cat with an odd gait.
Later in the day I was sitting in the front room and observed a relative walking up the driveway. He seemed to be on a mission with a determination to his stride.
This frog was found one morning in the barnyard. He is perched on a concrete block that holds the hen house door ajar. If you look closely the grey colour on his underside matches the block well. He stayed there for a good part of the day.
Shearing
We grow fluff here and the amount is ever increasing. I must say that the quality of this year's yearling fleeces is just wonderful. The goal of "prettying up the fleece" is working. The spinners who helped on shearing day "ooo-ed" and "awed" more than the previous year.
It was a very long day to shear 30 sheep and one llama. The guy is careful with the animals but not known for speed.
 |
Chiquita getting her first hair cut. She had not yet had her baby. |
Interestingly nature also re-purposes as needed.
 |
A bird's nest made mostly from sheep's wool. |
 |
More creative uses for sheep wool. |
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Babies
They're everywhere. There are now forty babies.
In the quiet of dusk I count sheep. For real. At the end of the day, before it gets too dark, I count. First I count the twenty-eight ewes. Then I count the forty babies. Usually I have to count several times to get my desired number. Often when babies lie together in a heap it's hard to count actual critters. Add the two rams and we have SEVENTY.
I count before it gets too dark in case I have to search the field for a missing sheep. Usually if someone is missing there are other signs and counting just confirms that one is missing. Mother's blat for a missing baby and babies blat for a missing mother.
I am routinely mobbed, several times a day. This is the reward for healthy bottle babies. Bottle feeding is necessary for survival and for ensuring that babies get a good start. In the case of the quads I chose to supplement all four. In the case of Olive's triplets, I chose to supplement the smallest one who looked hungry. So, now I have five bottle babies. Yet, these are all getting supplemental bottles in that they are being raised by their respective mothers. This is important since their mothers teach them how to be sheep. Otherwise they want to be humans and move into the big house.
There is now an orphaned bottle lamb, given to me by my neighbour. I named her Fleur as I will try to name ewes after flowers this year. Zinnia is a flower. Freckle is not. Sometimes the theme doesn't fit.
Back to Fleur. She is a triplet. The problem my neighbour has with multiple births is she is convinced they cannot all do well. This is mostly true, but they don't all do badly. At any rate, she removes multiples, leaving two only, one for each teat. The other reason she does this is because she crosses the highway with her sheep daily and a bottle baby running the wrong way is very dangerous. I understand but choose not to to it that way. I am grateful for a new ewe lamb for my flock. Fleur has settled in very very nicely. Really, though, I am her mother. Yet, because she was almost three weeks of age before she left her mother, she knows she is a sheep and this is good.
This morning I was late. It's Sunday. We were up late. I woke up at 6:30 and rolled over and went back to sleep. Usually I don't sleep but this morning I did and the next time I looked at the clock it was 8:14. That's a huge sleeping in morning for me. Up I got.
I was juggling two dishes of dog food and a bag of baby bottles. Millie was behind me going in the gate. Before me was Ruby jumping on the gate looking for breakfast and under her were the quads. Somehow this all worked. I opened the gate and just let it go. Millie went in, Ruby backed up, the babies scattered for a moment. Ruby jumped up and knocked some of her food out of the bowl. I put hers down and quickly moved away to move Millie away - they need some distance between them. And then moved away at right angles to get the babies out of dog breakfast eating range.
I whipped out bottles. I clamped one between my knees and somebody grabbed on to it. I then had one in each hand. Now three were occupied and the forth jumped on the others, on me, and I used my elbows whenever possible to push it away. Then the older triplet arrived looking for his breakfast snack. All five were mobbing me.
I watched as the bottles' contents quickly went down. Each was allowed a half bottle. I guestimated and then pulled - hard - to get the bottle out of their mouth to check the volume and decide whether to return it to the guzzler or find a waiting guzzler to finish it off.
It's all over pretty quickly.
And then I move on as I have one more bottle. Butterscotch, a lovely older ewe who always twins and is a great mother, has had some udder challenges. The base of the teat had become infected. This was likely due to an injury from a hungry lamb with sharp teeth. I should have checked her out sooner. I kept her in the mixing pen as the lambs looked hungry and I wanted them looking perkier before I put them in the flock. By the time I checked her there was quite an infection.
To take some pressure off of Butterscotch's udder and to get these lambs going I offered a bottle. They took it without much convincing - they were hungry. So, this morning I took my last bottle to Butterscotch's boys. I had moved her back to the mixing pen yesterday. The smaller twin came to me and I scooped him up and sat down on a milk crate. He slowly and quietly took the bottle. What a calm and relaxing time we both had while he slowly topped up his tummy. Butterscotch had continued to feed both lambs but would push them away when that teat got really sore.
The second lamb required catching and he was not that hungry. Only two thirds of their full bottle was consumed. Butterscotch was feeding them well. I managed to feel her udder and it was good. I would look more closely later in the day. She was baaing a lot and pacing: she wanted out onto the grass with the flock.
What a year for bottle feeding. We have had none of this in the past two years. Oh well. The bottle feeding has paid off and all are thriving.
In the quiet of dusk I count sheep. For real. At the end of the day, before it gets too dark, I count. First I count the twenty-eight ewes. Then I count the forty babies. Usually I have to count several times to get my desired number. Often when babies lie together in a heap it's hard to count actual critters. Add the two rams and we have SEVENTY.
I count before it gets too dark in case I have to search the field for a missing sheep. Usually if someone is missing there are other signs and counting just confirms that one is missing. Mother's blat for a missing baby and babies blat for a missing mother.
I am routinely mobbed, several times a day. This is the reward for healthy bottle babies. Bottle feeding is necessary for survival and for ensuring that babies get a good start. In the case of the quads I chose to supplement all four. In the case of Olive's triplets, I chose to supplement the smallest one who looked hungry. So, now I have five bottle babies. Yet, these are all getting supplemental bottles in that they are being raised by their respective mothers. This is important since their mothers teach them how to be sheep. Otherwise they want to be humans and move into the big house.
There is now an orphaned bottle lamb, given to me by my neighbour. I named her Fleur as I will try to name ewes after flowers this year. Zinnia is a flower. Freckle is not. Sometimes the theme doesn't fit.
Back to Fleur. She is a triplet. The problem my neighbour has with multiple births is she is convinced they cannot all do well. This is mostly true, but they don't all do badly. At any rate, she removes multiples, leaving two only, one for each teat. The other reason she does this is because she crosses the highway with her sheep daily and a bottle baby running the wrong way is very dangerous. I understand but choose not to to it that way. I am grateful for a new ewe lamb for my flock. Fleur has settled in very very nicely. Really, though, I am her mother. Yet, because she was almost three weeks of age before she left her mother, she knows she is a sheep and this is good.
This morning I was late. It's Sunday. We were up late. I woke up at 6:30 and rolled over and went back to sleep. Usually I don't sleep but this morning I did and the next time I looked at the clock it was 8:14. That's a huge sleeping in morning for me. Up I got.
I was juggling two dishes of dog food and a bag of baby bottles. Millie was behind me going in the gate. Before me was Ruby jumping on the gate looking for breakfast and under her were the quads. Somehow this all worked. I opened the gate and just let it go. Millie went in, Ruby backed up, the babies scattered for a moment. Ruby jumped up and knocked some of her food out of the bowl. I put hers down and quickly moved away to move Millie away - they need some distance between them. And then moved away at right angles to get the babies out of dog breakfast eating range.
I whipped out bottles. I clamped one between my knees and somebody grabbed on to it. I then had one in each hand. Now three were occupied and the forth jumped on the others, on me, and I used my elbows whenever possible to push it away. Then the older triplet arrived looking for his breakfast snack. All five were mobbing me.
I watched as the bottles' contents quickly went down. Each was allowed a half bottle. I guestimated and then pulled - hard - to get the bottle out of their mouth to check the volume and decide whether to return it to the guzzler or find a waiting guzzler to finish it off.
It's all over pretty quickly.
 |
Quadruplets in the dog house |
And then I move on as I have one more bottle. Butterscotch, a lovely older ewe who always twins and is a great mother, has had some udder challenges. The base of the teat had become infected. This was likely due to an injury from a hungry lamb with sharp teeth. I should have checked her out sooner. I kept her in the mixing pen as the lambs looked hungry and I wanted them looking perkier before I put them in the flock. By the time I checked her there was quite an infection.
 |
Butterscotch's boys basking in the sunshine. |
To take some pressure off of Butterscotch's udder and to get these lambs going I offered a bottle. They took it without much convincing - they were hungry. So, this morning I took my last bottle to Butterscotch's boys. I had moved her back to the mixing pen yesterday. The smaller twin came to me and I scooped him up and sat down on a milk crate. He slowly and quietly took the bottle. What a calm and relaxing time we both had while he slowly topped up his tummy. Butterscotch had continued to feed both lambs but would push them away when that teat got really sore.
The second lamb required catching and he was not that hungry. Only two thirds of their full bottle was consumed. Butterscotch was feeding them well. I managed to feel her udder and it was good. I would look more closely later in the day. She was baaing a lot and pacing: she wanted out onto the grass with the flock.
 |
A very happy Millie the Maremma, snoozing in the shade with her sheep |
Saturday, 9 April 2016
Numbers
Twenty-four; thirty-seven; two; one... I've been crunching some numbers now that we are almost through with lambing. It's been a whirlwind event. It is so good to know that there is an end in sight.... I will sleep again.
I actually began to draft a posting at the halfway mark. I never got back to it. And, I found a draft for "Calm" from before lambing that I did not publish. It's a crazy time!
The Stats
2 rams put to 24 ewes: Abe was put to Birch's daughters and Birch got the rest. My neighbour warned me that I could have double trouble using two rams at the same time, that there would be a double tide of lambs born at the same time. It wasn't too bad.
14 of 17 days: The lambing period - thus far, without the 3 stragglers that remain - was 17 days long and lambs were born on 14 of those days.
21 ewes have produced 37 lambs for an average of 1.8 each: Excellent outcome since one would like a 150% lamb crop and we have 176% - yes I rounded up to 1.8 each.
Multiples:
8 lambs receiving supplemental bottle: No "bottle babies" or "orphans", just supplemental bottles. Each receives about 8 ounces three times a day. They have mothers that feed them and mother them and teach them how to be sheep. The supplemental bottle is to ensure they get a good kick start in life. Still, I am popular and as they get older they get better at mobbing me.
I am supplementing all four quads. Three assault me when I walk in the door of the pen. The fourth, Floppy, needs to be caught and once perched on my lap gobbles down her share. All four are looking pudgy and more like piglets. Floppy keeps up with the rest, whereas there were concerns for her at birth. She is pretty laid back and very happy.
I have been offering a bottle to Spot's largest triplet. He needs to be caught and sometimes he'll take a few ounces and sometimes not.
MayBell has only half an udder that is working. Her female comes running for a bottle now. The male will sometimes take some and does best if held.
Olive's male triplet often gets left out and he now runs to me for his bottle. His belly is rounded so he is getting enough.
Oh, and one more interesting stat: one black and white set of twins, care of Lucy!
Lucy birthed them in the field on a nice sunny day. Thankfully it was not too cold. The startling white female was followed by the more startling black male. What better way to carry them in from the field than in a milk crate. Here I'm having a rest - me, not her - and hubby has met us with the camera.
The black male is a bit smaller and less active so I watched him closely to ensure he was managing.
Thank you EA for this lovely photo! Blackie has turned out to be more like an appaloosa. As the two became stronger it was time to put them in a mixing pen with another ewe. I try to match the ewes, and put singles with singles and twins with twins - when possible. It depends how fast I need which pens. And numerous days all my pens were full.
At first I put Lucy and twins with Bella and twins. On the second day when hubby commented that the little guy is always in the corner, a change was necessary. I put Lucy back into a lambing pen for a few more days. Then I put Lucy in with a younger ewe and her single. This has worked well. What we observed is that the sheep are racist and bashed the black lamb!
At this point Lucy and twins are in a mixing pen with two other ewes and their lambs and has access to outside. They are ready now to go out to the flock. The Appy guy is stronger and quicker in getting out of the way. He bounces and plays with everyone, so he should be just fine now. The lambs do not display the same racist behaviours as their mothers.
I actually began to draft a posting at the halfway mark. I never got back to it. And, I found a draft for "Calm" from before lambing that I did not publish. It's a crazy time!
The Stats
2 rams put to 24 ewes: Abe was put to Birch's daughters and Birch got the rest. My neighbour warned me that I could have double trouble using two rams at the same time, that there would be a double tide of lambs born at the same time. It wasn't too bad.
14 of 17 days: The lambing period - thus far, without the 3 stragglers that remain - was 17 days long and lambs were born on 14 of those days.
21 ewes have produced 37 lambs for an average of 1.8 each: Excellent outcome since one would like a 150% lamb crop and we have 176% - yes I rounded up to 1.8 each.
Multiples:
- 1 set of quadruplets
- 2 sets of triplets
- 18 sets of twins
- 9 singles
8 lambs receiving supplemental bottle: No "bottle babies" or "orphans", just supplemental bottles. Each receives about 8 ounces three times a day. They have mothers that feed them and mother them and teach them how to be sheep. The supplemental bottle is to ensure they get a good kick start in life. Still, I am popular and as they get older they get better at mobbing me.
 |
A re-purposed bag for toting baby bottles to the barn. |
I am supplementing all four quads. Three assault me when I walk in the door of the pen. The fourth, Floppy, needs to be caught and once perched on my lap gobbles down her share. All four are looking pudgy and more like piglets. Floppy keeps up with the rest, whereas there were concerns for her at birth. She is pretty laid back and very happy.
I have been offering a bottle to Spot's largest triplet. He needs to be caught and sometimes he'll take a few ounces and sometimes not.
MayBell has only half an udder that is working. Her female comes running for a bottle now. The male will sometimes take some and does best if held.
Olive's male triplet often gets left out and he now runs to me for his bottle. His belly is rounded so he is getting enough.
Oh, and one more interesting stat: one black and white set of twins, care of Lucy!
Lucy birthed them in the field on a nice sunny day. Thankfully it was not too cold. The startling white female was followed by the more startling black male. What better way to carry them in from the field than in a milk crate. Here I'm having a rest - me, not her - and hubby has met us with the camera.
The black male is a bit smaller and less active so I watched him closely to ensure he was managing.
Thank you EA for this lovely photo! Blackie has turned out to be more like an appaloosa. As the two became stronger it was time to put them in a mixing pen with another ewe. I try to match the ewes, and put singles with singles and twins with twins - when possible. It depends how fast I need which pens. And numerous days all my pens were full.
At first I put Lucy and twins with Bella and twins. On the second day when hubby commented that the little guy is always in the corner, a change was necessary. I put Lucy back into a lambing pen for a few more days. Then I put Lucy in with a younger ewe and her single. This has worked well. What we observed is that the sheep are racist and bashed the black lamb!
At this point Lucy and twins are in a mixing pen with two other ewes and their lambs and has access to outside. They are ready now to go out to the flock. The Appy guy is stronger and quicker in getting out of the way. He bounces and plays with everyone, so he should be just fine now. The lambs do not display the same racist behaviours as their mothers.
Calm
I WROTE THIS BEFORE LAMBING & FAILED TO PUBLISH - ENJOY!
The Calm, that is. The one before the storm. It starts soon, the lambing storm.
At night, all is calm. Just like the Christmas song, Away In A Manger. It's very true. A barn at night is a lovely and calm place. Even the nocturnal creatures know to be quiet in a barn. Mind you that is their way anyhow as they try to not disturb as they find their own food in their own way.
It is a lovely day, with crisp cool air and brilliant sunshine. Excellent conditions to go outside for the first time.
Earlier in the week I had set up some electric netting in such a way as to create a small outside enclosure at the front of the barn. This area gets sunshine all day and I knew that I could easily create a small pen or nursery at that end of the barn. This area does receive the weather as it faces West but I can monitor that. Besides these babies are now two weeks old and strong. It was time to see sunshine!
I put Olive and her triplets out first.
It is their pen I have opened up to create a larger pen. A short time later I put Chloe and her big boy out there.
Last year Olive did not like to share her space and that was how Cookie's leg got broken. I watched carefully. And this time they are all outside. Chloe's lamb is big and quick and the space is larger. Whereas Cookie was her mother's first lamb, this is Chloe's third. Chloe is pushing back and they are working it out.
The photo waiting to happen however is Ruby. Hubby helped me to tag the lambs after I put the four babies and two mommies in the larger pen. I managed to catch the babies and Hubby inserted the appropriate tag in each ear. We can now tell them apart; that is, Olive's two females have specific numbers with which to identify them since otherwise they are alike. And so it is with all lambs, they get their ears pierced with a plastic tag that has their own number on it. This year we are continuing with red tags for girls and white tags for boys.
I wandered off topic. While Hubby and I were working on this, Ruby jumped into the pen with me. She scrounged around sniffing at things. Before I left the barn Ruby was lying in the big doorway in the sunshine while lambs were coming up to check her out. Unlike last year when Ruby would bound up and lick them, she is remaining calm. As the lamb comes close to her she might sniff it or not. I did see her half lick one that was very close to her. I expect we may find Ruby keeping them warm on a cool night, with the calm of her mature, almost two years.
MILLIE
We've come a long way since surgery in early December. Millie is now back on duty, 24/7. She usually stays in with the flock, taking off much less frequently. At first she kept taking off and she'd be gone for hours. Sometimes Ruby would return long before Millie. Interestingly, Ruby rarely went off for any longer than twenty minutes while Millie was penned up for her recovery.
One morning I gave the dogs very large bones to chaw on and they stayed put. All day. At evening I decided to leave Millie out and not put her into the barn for the night. In the morning she was with the flock where she'd been left.
A few nights she has gotten out. We've heard the dogs barking at something, mostly behind the house, rather than across the road. They come back. Millie cannot get back in with the flock when she gets herself out. Ruby can soar over a fence and return to the flock. This morning, both dogs were "out". We'd heard them barking madly probably around 5:30. They showed up for breakfast while I was feeding the hens. They followed me - okay, they followed the food - back into the flock, had breakfast and began to nap.
Millie is calm with the sheep. Everyone is wary of her but it is becoming less so. Millie is happy. She was even wearing a bit of a snarly smile the other morning, something we frequently see on Ruby.
I have noted to a few people as of late how the sheep are all calm. We have more sheep in the flock now that were born here, than were purchased elsewhere. Many sheep allow me to touch them at random. Few of them move away from me and none scamper away from me. They are very comfortable in their surroundings, with their people and their dogs and - heaven forgive me should I forget - even their llama.
I will enjoy the calm for as long as possible - all of it!
The Calm, that is. The one before the storm. It starts soon, the lambing storm.
At night, all is calm. Just like the Christmas song, Away In A Manger. It's very true. A barn at night is a lovely and calm place. Even the nocturnal creatures know to be quiet in a barn. Mind you that is their way anyhow as they try to not disturb as they find their own food in their own way.
It is a lovely day, with crisp cool air and brilliant sunshine. Excellent conditions to go outside for the first time.
 |
I'm a triplet. My Mom is Olive. This is my first day outside - ever! |
Earlier in the week I had set up some electric netting in such a way as to create a small outside enclosure at the front of the barn. This area gets sunshine all day and I knew that I could easily create a small pen or nursery at that end of the barn. This area does receive the weather as it faces West but I can monitor that. Besides these babies are now two weeks old and strong. It was time to see sunshine!
I put Olive and her triplets out first.
 |
Olive and her triplets |
 |
Chloe and her boy |
Last year Olive did not like to share her space and that was how Cookie's leg got broken. I watched carefully. And this time they are all outside. Chloe's lamb is big and quick and the space is larger. Whereas Cookie was her mother's first lamb, this is Chloe's third. Chloe is pushing back and they are working it out.
The photo waiting to happen however is Ruby. Hubby helped me to tag the lambs after I put the four babies and two mommies in the larger pen. I managed to catch the babies and Hubby inserted the appropriate tag in each ear. We can now tell them apart; that is, Olive's two females have specific numbers with which to identify them since otherwise they are alike. And so it is with all lambs, they get their ears pierced with a plastic tag that has their own number on it. This year we are continuing with red tags for girls and white tags for boys.
I wandered off topic. While Hubby and I were working on this, Ruby jumped into the pen with me. She scrounged around sniffing at things. Before I left the barn Ruby was lying in the big doorway in the sunshine while lambs were coming up to check her out. Unlike last year when Ruby would bound up and lick them, she is remaining calm. As the lamb comes close to her she might sniff it or not. I did see her half lick one that was very close to her. I expect we may find Ruby keeping them warm on a cool night, with the calm of her mature, almost two years.
MILLIE
We've come a long way since surgery in early December. Millie is now back on duty, 24/7. She usually stays in with the flock, taking off much less frequently. At first she kept taking off and she'd be gone for hours. Sometimes Ruby would return long before Millie. Interestingly, Ruby rarely went off for any longer than twenty minutes while Millie was penned up for her recovery.
One morning I gave the dogs very large bones to chaw on and they stayed put. All day. At evening I decided to leave Millie out and not put her into the barn for the night. In the morning she was with the flock where she'd been left.
A few nights she has gotten out. We've heard the dogs barking at something, mostly behind the house, rather than across the road. They come back. Millie cannot get back in with the flock when she gets herself out. Ruby can soar over a fence and return to the flock. This morning, both dogs were "out". We'd heard them barking madly probably around 5:30. They showed up for breakfast while I was feeding the hens. They followed me - okay, they followed the food - back into the flock, had breakfast and began to nap.
 |
Millie wearing her new pink collar |
Millie is calm with the sheep. Everyone is wary of her but it is becoming less so. Millie is happy. She was even wearing a bit of a snarly smile the other morning, something we frequently see on Ruby.
I have noted to a few people as of late how the sheep are all calm. We have more sheep in the flock now that were born here, than were purchased elsewhere. Many sheep allow me to touch them at random. Few of them move away from me and none scamper away from me. They are very comfortable in their surroundings, with their people and their dogs and - heaven forgive me should I forget - even their llama.
I will enjoy the calm for as long as possible - all of it!
Friday, 25 March 2016
One, two, three...
...four. Four? Four!
Smudge had been waddling for some time. I wondered if she might have triplets. I never considered four. Four is not that desirable. Even triplets can be challenging.
If you recall previous stories about Smudge she is rather food focused. Where there is food, Smudge is first. And she vocalises this interest as well, with a very distinct, high, raspy voice.
On the Sunday afternoon I could see "show" but Smudge kept eating. Hubby suggested with Smudge's high interest in food that I bribe her into a pen. And so, I, the Candy Man / Candy Person, got out some grain when no other sheep were around and got Smudge quickly into a pen. And this was not hard.
I checked during the night but all was quiet. When the alarm went off at six I quickly dressed and went straight to the barn, grabbing some lambing towels to have in hand. As I approached the barn door I could see a little lamb face. I scooped it up in a towel. I peered over the pen wall and saw two more with Smudge. And then out of the corner of my eye and left, something moved. This truly was a double take. I looked left, looked back at Smudge, and looked left again. I went over and scooped up the forth lamb.
I was further baffled that these two lambs were outside of the pen. I deduced that they were very close to the pen wall and wandered through the slats of the wooden skids I use for pens. I had forgotten to fill in this area with cardboard. It keeps lambs in and drafts out.
Smudge made lovely mothering noises - distinct, high, raspy, yet soft. She seemed a bit overwhelmed. Sometimes I wonder if she was experiencing a double take, as if to say, "Oh, there's another one, and another one, another..." I do feel that Smudge had to focus on counting to four.
I worked with Smudge for a bit rubbing lambs with a towel. It was colder than I had expected and I had to organise a heat lamp. This lambing season is earlier than the previous two years. Especially with four lambs, all extra attention is warranted. I also put up tarps along the sides of the pen to further keep out the drafts.
The four are evenly sized, which is good. They are small, but that's not surprising. They are not tiny. There are two females and two males. One has floppy ears and had a floppy hind leg. I have seen this before. The bones are soft at birth. By the next day and even the day after that the bones hardened and the only remaining floppy was in the ears and a name.
Four. I had to help out Smudge. I thawed the cow colostrum I kept in the freezer. My very helpful fellow shepherdess neighbour brought me baby bottle and nipples. I warmed the colostrum and sat on a milk crate in the pen with each of four lambs on my lap, offering them the colostrum. I did this four more times over twenty-four hours, the most critical time.
And it is amazing the difference following that first twenty-four hours. I could see full bellies and the babies began to bounce and test out their legs further. Floppy was okay but I continued to monitor him (or her; I can't remember because there are four!).
I have continued to offer them lamb milk replacer (or lamb baby formula) several times each day. They do not consume very much of this at all. I wonder if one latches on to the nipple better than the others and takes more - but I'm not sure which one that is. Okay, there are four: Floppy; one with a black dot on his right knee; one with two back dashes on his right knee; and the other one.
Some shepherds remove one or two of the quads, leaving only twins on the mother. The one(s) selected for removal should be the largest and strongest. These would be either grafted onto a mother with a single or raised on a bottle. I am choosing to leave the four on their mother. I will continue to offer a bottle for the next several weeks. I can see already that they are thriving. It does take a lot out of the mother, but I'll have to monitor that. Already I see forming a group of multiple birth families which will allow the provision of extra food for them.
Olive with her triplets is doing very well. She looks a bit haggard but is managing well. They are now three weeks old. I have offered a bottle several times to one that has been looking hungry, but she's not interested. They are eating hay with their mother and having fun, tearing up and down at the front of the barn. Last night one of them kept trying to jump on Olive's back while Olive was standing and eating. Lambs do find mischief.
As of this writing, there are quadruplets, triplets, two sets of twins and three singles. That's fourteen lambs from seven ewes for an excellent average at 200%. The birth of singles following the quadruplets was almost refreshing.
Smudge had been waddling for some time. I wondered if she might have triplets. I never considered four. Four is not that desirable. Even triplets can be challenging.
If you recall previous stories about Smudge she is rather food focused. Where there is food, Smudge is first. And she vocalises this interest as well, with a very distinct, high, raspy voice.
On the Sunday afternoon I could see "show" but Smudge kept eating. Hubby suggested with Smudge's high interest in food that I bribe her into a pen. And so, I, the Candy Man / Candy Person, got out some grain when no other sheep were around and got Smudge quickly into a pen. And this was not hard.
I checked during the night but all was quiet. When the alarm went off at six I quickly dressed and went straight to the barn, grabbing some lambing towels to have in hand. As I approached the barn door I could see a little lamb face. I scooped it up in a towel. I peered over the pen wall and saw two more with Smudge. And then out of the corner of my eye and left, something moved. This truly was a double take. I looked left, looked back at Smudge, and looked left again. I went over and scooped up the forth lamb.
I was further baffled that these two lambs were outside of the pen. I deduced that they were very close to the pen wall and wandered through the slats of the wooden skids I use for pens. I had forgotten to fill in this area with cardboard. It keeps lambs in and drafts out.
Smudge made lovely mothering noises - distinct, high, raspy, yet soft. She seemed a bit overwhelmed. Sometimes I wonder if she was experiencing a double take, as if to say, "Oh, there's another one, and another one, another..." I do feel that Smudge had to focus on counting to four.
I worked with Smudge for a bit rubbing lambs with a towel. It was colder than I had expected and I had to organise a heat lamp. This lambing season is earlier than the previous two years. Especially with four lambs, all extra attention is warranted. I also put up tarps along the sides of the pen to further keep out the drafts.
 |
One, two, three and four! |
The four are evenly sized, which is good. They are small, but that's not surprising. They are not tiny. There are two females and two males. One has floppy ears and had a floppy hind leg. I have seen this before. The bones are soft at birth. By the next day and even the day after that the bones hardened and the only remaining floppy was in the ears and a name.
Four. I had to help out Smudge. I thawed the cow colostrum I kept in the freezer. My very helpful fellow shepherdess neighbour brought me baby bottle and nipples. I warmed the colostrum and sat on a milk crate in the pen with each of four lambs on my lap, offering them the colostrum. I did this four more times over twenty-four hours, the most critical time.
And it is amazing the difference following that first twenty-four hours. I could see full bellies and the babies began to bounce and test out their legs further. Floppy was okay but I continued to monitor him (or her; I can't remember because there are four!).
I have continued to offer them lamb milk replacer (or lamb baby formula) several times each day. They do not consume very much of this at all. I wonder if one latches on to the nipple better than the others and takes more - but I'm not sure which one that is. Okay, there are four: Floppy; one with a black dot on his right knee; one with two back dashes on his right knee; and the other one.
Some shepherds remove one or two of the quads, leaving only twins on the mother. The one(s) selected for removal should be the largest and strongest. These would be either grafted onto a mother with a single or raised on a bottle. I am choosing to leave the four on their mother. I will continue to offer a bottle for the next several weeks. I can see already that they are thriving. It does take a lot out of the mother, but I'll have to monitor that. Already I see forming a group of multiple birth families which will allow the provision of extra food for them.
Olive with her triplets is doing very well. She looks a bit haggard but is managing well. They are now three weeks old. I have offered a bottle several times to one that has been looking hungry, but she's not interested. They are eating hay with their mother and having fun, tearing up and down at the front of the barn. Last night one of them kept trying to jump on Olive's back while Olive was standing and eating. Lambs do find mischief.
 |
Frolicking in the sunshine under the supervision of Humphrey kitty. |
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)