Beautiful morning
Chores were a pleasure this morning -- sun is up, light breeze blowing,and pastures are lush. While I was bottle feeding Vanna the February lambs and their ewe, Queen Mab, ambled up to sniff the process. The Saxonies also came up to investigate, most likely wondering when their water and grain would be refilled. Under the last setting goose I can hear the chirps of goslings. Hopefully she has a few to add to the gaggle.
The four steadfast Buckeyes remain on their nests. If they successfully hatch chicks I hope to use the best chicks as replacement hens, to sell if I can find buyers for this heritage breed and to butcher for tender fryers.
Sheep flock in the back field
This weekend we were able to vaccinate and ear tag the lambs. Only one ewe was wormed since her gums were light in color. Vinnie our ram lamb was banded. Banding is a method of castration where we put a small rubber band at the base of the scrotum to cut off the blood supply. Based on Vinnie's playful antics after the procedure, I am pretty sure we were more distressed than he was. The oldest lambs and ewes also had their hooves trimmed.
Since the flock behaves as a unit, moving through the field together and waiting for the slower lambs, I moved them to a new pasture behind the boat barn. Using the Subaru I pulled the shelter to the field, hammered in fiberglass posts and strung two lines of polywire. The flock was easy to herd through a temporary corridor to the lush field. The sheep share this field with old, wrapped round bales, waiting to be moved to a new composting area at the edge of the woods.
The flock decreases and increases
On Wednesday morning Marilla ate too quickly and had a blockage of grain in her throat. In spite of our best efforts she died. It happened so quickly. She had become an attentive mother so I was worried for her lambs. They refused bottles and started to eat more hay. Their cries were pitiful.
On Friday afternoon Maude finally had twins. The ram lamb was larger and stood pretty quickly and nursed. The ewe lamb was not able to stand up. Once in the lambing jug I made sure she nursed so she had the benefits of colostrum. Although I feed the sheep minerals with selenium I could not be sure that the lambs were not deficient so I gave them some selenium and vitamin E gel. It was hard to leave that frail lamb but I thought her best chance of survival was in the care of her mother. Maude was unwavering in her care, nickering, nudging and licking the lamb. On Saturday morning the ewe lamb was able to stand for short periods and nurse. Vanna is still weak and unsteady. She often falls but can keep up with the rest of the flock, especially since her mother is vigilant in keeping track of her. Both Vanna and her brother Vinnie have overbites which exclude them from being part of the breeding flock. Vinnie was wethered today and will keep our future ram company in the bachelor pen.
When Maude, Vinnie and Vanna were reintorduced to the flock there was much commotion. The orphan lambs doggedly tried to steal milk and Maude just as adamntly kicked them away. Now all 5 sheep graze together. Maude attends to her lambs and allows the orphans to nurse.
Beef & Sheep on pasture
The Belites are in the blooming, apple orchard. The sound of the ripping grass is the only sound above the bees. Almost one year old Lily is in the foreground, her mother, Blair in the middle and Penny in the back. They are contained by one strand of electric fence. Hopefully calves will arrive in the next few weeks.
The sheep are in the large field, enclosed with 5 strands of hi-tensile wire. Queen Mab's ewe lambs were born on 2/15. Marilla's ewe lambs were born on 3/5. The sheep are eating the multiflora rose, probably in search of whatever minerals the deeper roots of the shrub mine.
Maude is still awaiting her lambs. Veronica, Marilla's lamb, poses in front.
Violet, 2 months old, loves to have her chin scratched.