Category: Farm Life
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On Pasture With Big Bales of Hay
Today, we got the pregnant ewes out into pastures where they can lamb. The grass is still not very high, so we put out some hay. We got three round bales to try. They’re smaller than some – only four feet wide and 1,000 pounds each. Ken can move them with the tractor without a Continue reading
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Lawn Mowers
The snow has all melted, and things have dried out enough to get the pregnant ewes out. They needed their spring dewormer. Afterward, as a treat, they got to be lawn mowers around the guesthouse and shop. I sat under the shop porch and watched while reading the mail. They spend a lot of time Continue reading
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Sheep Nests and New Furnace
Our sheep dig nests in the bedding pack and sleep there. No lamb eggs this year for Easter, though. Here’s one of our ewes on her nest. We also got the last bit of the west divider fence done today. We still have to fix the top section that goes over the gated pipes, but Continue reading
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Snow and Mud
First, we had snow. Then it melted and we had mud, and now it’s snowing again. It’s also been very cold – much colder than normal. I have no idea how our apple blooms are doing. The buds are still tight, so I hope they weather the cold okay. Continue reading
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The Shearing Is Done!
I was too busy to take any pictures, but we got the entire flock shorn yesterday. We had a good crew – a bunch of folks from Ravelry came, plus the Clocks, and people from Mesa Winds Farm. We started at about 8:15 AM and got done around 1:15 PM. There are 132 naked sheep Continue reading
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Getting Ready for Shearing
We spent today cleaning the old hay scraps out from under the hay barn – specifically the area where we shear the sheep. Up next will be building the sheep sweep and getting everything ready. Shearing will take place a week from today (March 28th). Continue reading
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More Burning Brush
Larry and I burned another two piles of brush today. It was a lovely day. Ken helped out by putting out small grass fires in the dry pasture. We got almost all of the brush out of the east side of the orchard. Larry will bring his quad and small trailer back and pick up Continue reading
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Burning Some Brush
Today, we started the spring brush burning. All of the prunings from the trees need to be disposed of. Larry had a large pile set aside, and Ken burned it today. There is still a lot out in the orchard – we’ll have several burn piles to go through – but this is a good Continue reading
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Sheep Happens
You never quite know what can happen during morning chores. This morning, after feeding all of the critters, we were watching the adult rams. One was being chased by both Becky and the other rams. We’ve learned that when that happens, you must get the picked-on sheep out of the pen, or he’ll get injured. Continue reading
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Becky and the Rams
Becky is in with the adult rams now. She’s doing very well, and the sheep seem to get along well with her. Continue reading