Category: Farm Life
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Mother’s Day Special!
The ewes are finally lambing! This Mother’s Day, we had three ewes lamb, resulting in five lambs. We got four ewe lambs and one ram lamb. All are doing well, although I had to assist two of the ewes. One had twins whose legs were back, and the other was a first-timer and didn’t dilate. Continue reading
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One Less Coyote and Grazing Ewes
We were finally able to get a clear, safe shot on the coyote that’s been hanging around. We generally try to leave the coyotes alone. As long as they respect the fences and the dogs and don’t bother us or the sheep, we don’t bother them. The last time we had to kill one was Continue reading
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Rebuilding the Sheep Sweep: Ewes on Pasture
We’ve had some problems with our sheep sweep over the years. The sheep have worn a path down the middle, and the panels have sunk into the ground. This year, we decided to put some gravel down over weed block, then use an old mine belt to make a more durable surface. We also finally Continue reading
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More Brush Burning
We still have more burning to do, so we got the brush from the east orchard done today. Continue reading
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Burning More Brush
We started to burn the west orchard brush piles today. That’s where the ewes will go first for lambing, so we need the brush gone. Continue reading
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Moving Fence Panels
Larry’s back to build another section of our fence. Our first task was to remove the welded wire panels that make up our temporary fencing. He used the brush rake to move the panels. We built a large stack over by the guest house in front of the shop. Continue reading
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Shearing Is Done!
Our shearing is finally done for 2011. We had lots of sticky fleeces and hard-shearing sheep. I’m not entirely sure of the issue yet. Some of it is probably the weather, since ours was not the only hard-shearing flock in our area this year. Some of it was also due to coats. I ran out Continue reading
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Black Sheep Power and Light
Here’s one of our new solar arrays. It doesn’t just collect power – it also provides shade for the sheep. Continue reading
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Spring Snow
It’s a good thing the ditch got cleaned yesterday! The new snow had already settled and started melting by the time I took these pictures. Continue reading
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Spring Ditch Cleaning
Spring groundswork has started. We hired a trackhoe to clean the ditch that carries water down through our property. It hadn’t been cleaned in years, and it required a larger machine than our small backhoe. Now, it’s looking good! Continue reading