Category: Farm Life
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New Sign and Fence
Yesterday, Larry and Ken got the new sign holder welded onto the corner of the fence. The sign is up and installed. We still have to paint the holder, but it looks great! Larry and his crew also finished installing the short section of fence between our open fields on the west side. It also… Continue reading
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On Pasture
The pregnant ewes went out on pasture today. As you can see, the grass is still thin, so we preloaded hay into the pasture. Some ewes were eating it after testing the grasses. From the looks of these udders, this is none too soon. I expect lambs anytime now. Continue reading
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Sheep Dewormer
The pregnant ewes got their dewormer yesterday. One of the ways we reduce the parasite load in the pastures is by deworming the ewes 24-48 hours before they go out in summer. That, combined with our hard winters, means that we rarely have to deworm lambs until late summer. That’s when we start to get… Continue reading
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Linoleum and Finishing Electric
The upstairs linoleum for the shop was installed, and it looks lovely. Jake came back to start the final electrical installation. One note to self: do not take a picture that requires a flash when an electrician is working on an electrical box! Poor jake thought the box was hot because the flash went off… Continue reading
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Major Milestone
The farm passed a major milestone today. This old travel trailer has been here for at least ten years. It was used as a temporary guest house on occasion, and Oogie stayed in it when she first got here in fall 2000 with the sheep. It was not in great shape – wasps had started… Continue reading
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Lawnmowers
We got the ewe yearlings out to graze the bits of grass coming up around the guesthouse. Why use a lawnmower when you have sheep? The grass must be too young still – it doesn’t taste good yet, and they didn’t like it much. They did have a grand time racing all over and checking… Continue reading
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Shop Painting!
West McKee was back this weekend, painting the shop. We were never able to get the painting contractor to call back, so West is coming through to get it done before the linoleum is installed. He’s doing a great job, and we really appreciate it. Continue reading
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Shop and Sign Progress
The new sign hanger is done. We still have to paint it black, but it’s finished. We’re going to have it welded onto the big elk fence at the corner. It’ll be visible from both sides of the road there. In shop news, the garage door got installed, and painting is starting inside. Next week,… Continue reading
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Spring, Then Winter Again
Animal Husbandry, Farm Life, Gardening and Harvesting, Hay and Forage, Other Animals, Sheep, WeatherWell, we thought spring was coming. The snow had melted, and things were starting to green up. The grass was just getting going, and the guard dogs looked ready to start their lamb-protection work. Then, we got this! More snow, which led to more mud when it melted the next day. Last year, we had… Continue reading
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Federal Flock Inspection and Vaccinations
Yesterday was the yearly Federal flock inspection. We are in the Scrapie Flock Certification program and are certified Scrapie Free. One of the things we have to do is have our flock inspected once per year. The inspector comes out and we run every single sheep through. He checks ear tag numbers against inventory. I… Continue reading