Deflated and Defleeced - yet Determined...

DEFLATED

It's easy to blog about the good stuff that happens on the farm, but really hard to write about the bad, especially when it is fresh and stinging.   I don't want this blog to be a view "through rose colored glasses"... I think too many people tell only about the "ups" and the "downs" are left in the back of the proverbial closet where nobody can see.  I want to share our "downs" too...  It might be a learning tool for someone and it will definately be good therapy for me to write about it!

Each breeding season is kind of like blowing up a balloon...  every step you take toward lambing is like blowing another breath in.  You choose the right ram, vaccinate, worm, feed the right food, and when lambing time arrives you have a nice shiney balloon to marvel at.  The problem with balloons is that sometimes things don't go according to plan and you feel the balloon (and your spirits) deflate.

Yesterday morning as we were penning the ewes in the barn for shearing, we found an aborted fetus on the barn floor...  This was a first for us.  If you search the internet for "aborted lamb", you find a multitude of horrible diseases that can quickly attack a flock and cause an "abortion storm".  On the other hand, something as simple as a ewe getting bumped at the feeder by another ewe can cause an abortion.

By now, most readers probably know that my mind automatically expects the worst so besides being upset about the lost lamb, I was instantly worried about the rest of the flock.  I called my vet and he told me that I needed to calm down.  He said that if we were to lose another lamb then we should take the fetus in for testing and start treating the flock, but that one abortion is not cause for mass hysteria.

We have in the last two weeks introduced two groups of ewes together, moved them into a new area (the barn), and penned them on Sunday to trim feet, worm, and vaccinate - it is very reasonable to think that the ewe got bumped...  but I will be watching the flock like a hawk and worrying.  Ahhh, the joys of keeping livestock.

DEFLEECED

Shearing itself went VERY well...  I am really happy with how the ewes look - it can be a challenge to know how fat/skinny they are under 3 - 4 inches of wool and is nice to know we are getting better at judging body condition.  Even our "old girls" look good.

Cheviot Ewes awaiting Shearing...

We penned the ewes up and one by one the shearer expertly harvested their wool.  This year local sheep shearer Sy Caryl sheared for us...  He shears all over the country and competes in various shearing contests.  We are really lucky here in Michigan in that we have many professional shearers to choose from and the few we have used here at the farm have all done exceptional work.

Merino Ewe getting naked...

We gave extra hay to the ewes and will keep them out of the wind until their wool starts to grow back and their bodies acclimate to losing their wool coat.

 

NAKED SHEEP!!!

DETERMINED

All of the ewes are acting great and looking very healthy - even the ewe that aborted is eating and drinking and chewing her cud.  We gave her a shot of antibiotics because we could... 

I am determined not to stress out over this set-back to the point where it isn't enjoyable anymore.  Afterall, you have to love the journey in order to love the destination.

I am determined to keep blowing up this balloon...  true, it could pop, but life is a party and what's a party without a few balloons?

Special Delivery...

Now before you think that the UPS driver risked life and limb in "the blizzard of the year" to deliver these packages, I must confess that these were delivered on Monday and Tuesday but I didn't get around to opening them until today...

To the untrained eye, it may appear that someone in our household has un unhealthy relationship with the Home Shopping Network, but in reality this is just another sign that lambing season is quickly approaching...

As a kid, I always loved getting packages in the mail, and I must still be a kid at heart because to this day it feels a little like Christmas when I have a box to open.  Forget the fact that I just ordered the stuff last week...  I still find suprises (likely because of the brain cells that succumbed to red wine poisoning over the weekend).

I received my needles and syringes from American Livestock Supply...  For the sheep, we use the 3, 6, and 12 cc syringes as well as 18 and 20 gauge 3/4" needles.  I prefer the syringes with the Luer Lock tips - they have a "screw-on" type system that really help to keep the needles from pulling off...

I ordered Ivermectin Horse Wormers and Sheep Nutri-Drench from Valley Vet Supply.  The Nutri-Drench is an oral Vitamin and Mineral supplement for newborn or "down" lambs and it provides INSTANT energy.  It is great for lambs born on very cold days.

I received two boxes of products from Pipestone Veterinary Supply.  We usually order stuff from them a few times during the year...  I am suprised they don't send us a Christmas Card?!??!?

We received a 25# bag of Pipestone's Lamb Milk Replacer...  I really think this is an exceptional product and highly recommend it to other shepherds.  We hope that we don't have to use it, but it is something you can't wait for if you end up needing it so it makes sense to have a bag on hand.

We also bought a tub of Nursemate which is a "first milk" or "colostrum" replacer...  Again hoping NOT to use it!

There are two bottle nipples...  I think I mentioned that we "LENT" some out last year and they were never replaced.  They are pretty cheap so it is no big deal, but it just irks me when people don't follow through - (I know, get over it already Rich!!!)

We received a 2# bag of Deccox which we will mix in with our mineral to try to minimize the Coccidia in the barn during lambing (terrible tiny parasites that can cause diarrhea and possibly death in lambs).

There is a bottle of Iodine Spray for wounds and possibly newborn lamb navels...

AND for the first time this year...  A HUGE bottle of Chlorhexidine which is a very effective disinfectant that is gentle on the skin and safe.  Many shepherds are starting to use this in place of Iodine for navels as well as for disinfecting lambing tools, tattooing equipment, ear tags, and the like.  This is also used in human mouthwash so it must be relatively safe.  The more disinfected I can get, the better...  maybe I had better order some bleach!

When it comes to having animals, I think you need to work and hope for the best case scenario, but plan and order supplies for the worst case scenario.  Afterall, you don't need to be a Boy Scout to be prepared!!!!

More snow than I thought...

The blizzard continued all day and we ended up with more snow than I thought...

My well honed driving skills were not enough to keep me from getting the car stuck at the end of the driveway but we were able to walk it out with the truck.  On our way to town to get lunch we saw three cars stuck in snow drifts but we made it to town safely, ate to our hearts content, and came home to plow out the drives.

Is it spring yet???

Snow Day!

While the blizzard didn't bring us the massive pummeling of snow that some places have been hit with, we did wake up to a little accumulation of the white stuff and it is still coming down.

Based on the weather forecast, my workplace had decided to close for Wednesday and I did my best to clear the schedule for the day.  It was nice not to have to brave the ice and snow covered roads first thing this morning.

The animals seem to deal with the snow just fine.  We threw everybody some extra hay in order to provide more calories for them to burn and stay warm...  Personally, my calorie intake seems more than adequte to keep me warm in the coldest of conditions...

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm!  Once this snow stops we can get to work plowing!

The Last Weekend in January...

We woke up on Saturday morning to find 8 inches of new snow on the ground.  It was beautiful powdery snow that sparkled in the sunshine.  I really enjoyed the day, plowing the drive to the road and the drive back to the horsebarn.  Twice we had neighbors stop in to visit...  it was a very rare winter day where the sun brought people outside who have spent most of the last month holed up inside avoiding the cold.

We made it to the Shiawassee Trail Riders meeting on Saturday Evening and had a good time...  A few unsuspecting folks made the mistake of asking about our sheep and they got an earful about eating locally, knowing your food, and the virtues of raising your own meat.  I really think it is important for people to think about where their food comes from, how it lived, and what it ate.

Sunday was a very eventful day, we penned the 19 ewes who are in the barn and one by one caught them, tipped them on their rumps, vaccinated them with CD&T, wormed them with injectable Cydectin, and trimmed their feet.  CD&T is a vaccine against tetanus and several other clostridium toxins, we give this to the ewes 1 month before they are due to lamb and the ewes will pass some immunity on to their lambs.

We did have one mishap during the procedure...  poor Annie, our white Merino ewe who is arguably our most spectacular ewe got a sore leg thanks to my mistake.  Tipping ewes up can be a hassle (especially for those of us who are challenged in the height department) she tried to get one of her back legs underneath herself on my first attempt to flip her and that leg got bent back uncomfortably.  She was limping a bit yesterday but is moving much better today.

I just feel terrible when I hurt them needlessly... I know it is part of farming and mistakes will happen, but my forementioned need for approval from my peers is second only to my need to beat myself up with guilt when I do something stupid.  In the long run, I think guilt makes me more careful and more thoughtful about how I handle my animals so it is probably a good thing.

On my way out the door to work this morning, I made a sidetrip to the barn to check on Annie...  although my vivid imagination had produced images of a leg swollen to gigantic proportions turned black with gangrene, reality was much less dramatic.  A very slight limp which was even better this evening.

This Friday the shearer is coming to shear the ewes...  In an ideal world, it would be nice to combine giving shots, foot trimming, and shearing all at one time so as to avoid the stress of penning and catching the ewes twice, but I think it is important to respect the shearer's time and have these extras done so all he has to do is shear and not wait on us.  Plus, the more we handle our ewes in the month before they lamb, the calmer they seem to be when lambing time arrives.

The weather forecast is calling for massive quantities of snow for this week.  The latest reports called for snow accumulation of 8 to 15 inches by Wednesday.  We shall see...  February might start with a whiteout!

Lean on Me...

When you own livestock, you somehow build a group of friends who have the same kinds of animals you do.  These groups become known as your "horse friends" or your "sheep friends".  You know that even if you have nothing else in common, you are both insane when it comes to at least one thing.

Tomorrow night we are going with "horse friends" to the annual meeting of the Shiawassee Trail Riders.  There will be a dinner, a benefit auction, and a club meeting, but no-one would go if the draw was the food, auction items, and meeting agenda...  nope, these will be passable, but could all likely use a little more flavor.  The draw will be the comradery, the socializing, and the friendships with people who share some insanity with us.

It is nice to have these groups of friends to talk to, learn from, and lean on when you need to. 

We spent most of the day at the farm of some "sheep friends" who were due to start lambing today but got called to work for part of the day.  They didn't see any signs of labor this morning but asked if we would keep watch for them just in case.  It is nice when people think enough of you to trust you with their farm...  it is even nicer when you know they feel they can ask you for a favor.  I like to be the kind of friend that can be called on.

We arrived at their farm around 10 AM and by the time we left at 4:30 PM, there were 5 ram lambs and a ewe lamb on the ground.  That's what you call a population explosion!  There were lambs shooting out left and right and more ewes showing subtle signs that they weren't far behind.

I am sure that these "sheep friends" will be up through the night checking on ewes and lambs.  As much as I am looking forward to the start of our own lambing season, right now I am looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Sleep tight and stay warm!

Perspective from the Barn...

We are one step closer to lift-off folks...  We are like mission control counting down the days and checking off the "to do" list.  Today I ordered supplies from Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, American Livestock Supply, and Valley Vet Supply and spent a bunch of cash on lambing supplies and horse wormers.

This evening we also moved the Cheviot and Merino ewes in the barn...  it was snowing pretty good out and we need to get the wool dry for shearing in a week.  The dreary gray days and long cold nights of winter are SOOO much more tolerable when you are preparing and planning for lambs.

I think that the world would be a better place if everyone had animals to care for.  It puts things in perspective - the things that are truly important, how fragile life is, how the simple things are the sweetest, nothing worthwhile is easy.





Where does YOUR perspective come from?

Stay warm!