Committed- Learning Lessons in Lambing

A couple of our ewes were bred late

which means we were going to lamb in July.

One of them was open so we were waiting

(not so patiently)

for our Lily to lamb.

She seemed ready FOREVER

and she was large.

On Sunday I checked her in the morning

and

she seemed as ready as ever

but 

nothing major.

We came home from church and I thought I would just run out to see how she was.

I got in the barn and she was laying down

with a lamb behind her

still in the sack.

I got into the pen and peeled the bag back

the lamb was still hot

but

not moving- not breathing.

I wiped it the best I could with my bare hands and straw.

I put a piece of straw up it's nose and tried to clear out the airways.

At this point it started twitching.

Still not breaths.

So I tipped it up side down and with my other hand went down its nasal canals.

laided it back down and gave it mouth to mouth.

It was disgusting.

I wish I was a good enough person to look past that

I am not

It will go down as one of the most disgusting things I have done to date.

BUT

that little lamb took a breath

and started to kick

She was pretty rattly for a few days and it took her 8 hours to stand and eat on her own.

The ewe was confused about the "let down" reflux

and kept kicking at her bag like flies were on her.

But my midnight everything seemed to sort itself out.

I am glad it's our last of this year.

I am extreamly thankful it's alive and healthy

and

it's a ewe!

Our First Predator- graphic warning

We have ducks.

They are a new addition this year.

We bought them after we sold our geese.

They are MUCH milder and easy to deal with

Every morning we turn them loose and they waddle themselves down to the creek.

They swim, they clean, they fluff, and then they come home for dinner.

I went out in the afternoon and noticed a duck laying too still in an odd place in the field.

Sure enough. 

Dead.

Decapitated dead.

When I first went down I could only find the body.

The girls found the head a couple hundred feet away- half up a hill...

His name was mouldy

Now to try and figure this mystery out.....

Needless to say- the rest of the ducks are in lock down until this matter is sorted out.

Butternut's Debut

A couple weeks ago I picked up this lovely Nigerian Dwarf nanny and one of her doelings. She has been such fun! Our oldest daughter is smitten with them. They are fun and a little more personable than our sheep. We haven't tried milking yet but that's in our future. I can't wait to try soaps and lotions and maybe even a taste.

She is settling in well to her new surroundings. She enjoys the walks the kids take her on. She doesn't love Bellie {our dog} but she is learning to at least tolerate her!

Learning to Listen

Last night my girls went out to do their chores. As they were finishing up with the goats, one of them felt like they needed to go and check the sheep. They went. When they arrived at the shelter one of the ewes was stuck. 4 feet in the air on her back. One stayed with the ewe and one ran to the house to get me. When I got there the ewe was upright again. My daughter felt like she needed to roll her over. The ewe was stumbling and stiff. She had been there for sometime (I check them morning and night so it must if happened shortly after morning checks) but her back was saturated with urine and fecal matter.

So glad that these two listened to that inner voice and found her. And another great lesson learned on our little homestead!

Don't forget the Cat

When we moved to our place

we were fortunate enough 

to inhert their cat.

We had one of our own

but 

we spay and neuter our cats

so it was great to have a spare.

She turned out to be a fantastic cat.

She loved the kids and was always following them around.

She loved to photobomb almost all our pictures

and she was an amazing hunter.

I am pretty sure she has killed more gophers around our place than

Dusty!

You will be missed Spurk.

Odd and Unusual- Coming home with 8 Boxes

 Saturday was Auction day.

We got there a bit early so the kids walked around to check everything out.

I gave each of the kids $20.00 and told them they could buy whatever they wanted.

I was only a little scared.

Dusty was a lot scared.

Ellie was sure she was going to buy a pig

(that's what made me nervous)

but 

she made a wise decision and chose to wait until she had a pen built!

Lucy, however, spent her money on this....

It will be moving outside once her pen is built.

 

 

Ellie and I spent on our money on these lovely ducks.

3 different kinds.

Indian Runners

Peking

and Rouen

 

 Penny bought fancy chickens

Americanas (which I don't have a picture of)

Silver Brahmas (the photo)

and

Silver Laced Wyndottes

 and we will end with the ducks

The drake rouen is so pretty!

and they already laid 2 eggs

and they are HUGE.

Sorrows of a Shepherd- Enucleation

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way."

Mark Twain 

I love having an assortment of creatures on our acreage. 

I love watching them.

I find great amusement in all of them.

I enjoy caring for them.

Inevitably something happens that requires additional care.

I love to learn new things.

I find satisfaction in nursing these guys back to health.

I don't love carrying a cat by the tail 

(So to speak)

Not too long ago-

One of my ewes was "off"

We went out and she had some fox tail in her eye.

She gets really wooly eyes and so she does get grass etc caught in them from time to time.

I cleaned it out.

Long story short.

My efforts were not good enough.

By the time I called the vet my poor sheeps eye could not be saved.

I know she will be fine.

I know most farmers shoot a sheep in the same predicament.

I also know that this is on me.

I have carried my cat- I hope that I don't have to write another post about a sheep and fox tail and a tardy vet call....