Separation Anxiety

I spent most of the day getting the lamb’s new digs ready. It was time today to get the orphan out with the other sheep. She’s out in her jug (pen) where she can see the others but is still protected. Gave her a bottle then got her set up with hay, pellets, and water. She’s sheltered from the rain…it’s coming down pretty good now. I sat for a time, outside her jug, in the rain, watching her as she nibbled on hay and eyed the water dish disapprovingly. She cried when I left her. It sounded so pitiful. One of those sounds where you just want to run back and scoop her up, tail wagging. But, I just walked away. Her time with just me is done now. It’s time for her to be what she is supposed to be and be part of the flock. And, speaking of time, it’s about time for me to make supper and then enjoy a hot bath and a warm fire to get rid of this chill.

New Lambs Are Due Any Day and Spring Planting

The second ewe to lamb will likely drop before Monday, March 30th.  Well, that’s my best guess since I didn’t mark the ram’s brisket in the fall so I’d know when he mounted the ewe.  Her udders have gotten huge in the past two weeks and her back end is looking ready.  I don’t know if it’s twins in there or more (or just one).  Time will tell.  If it is a multiple birth, I just hope that this ewe accepts all the lambs.  I really don’t feel like bottle feeding another lamb.  In the meantime, the orphan ewe lamb is doing very well, will be a month old tomorrow, and will be out in the upper paddock in a fenced in enclosure with a shelter made of pallets this weekend.  I will close up the enclosure at night so the coyotes won’t make a meal out of her.  I’m feeding her 3x/day about a cup and a half of milk replacer each feeding.  She’s beginning to nibble on hay/grass/feed.  I put her out with her father yesterday…just him, not her recalcitrant mother, all the while, I was supervising.  The ram was good as gold with the baby.  The little one watched her father as he munched on hay and she emulated him.  Also, we made the decision to keep the little ewe lamb, but in order to do so, we have to get new bloodlines so a new ram has to be purchased and have to get rid of the old one.  I’m on the lookout now for a suitable ram lamb that will be sexually mature by the time the ewes come into estrus again, October/November.  I’m looking for a katahdin/dorper cross but will consider another cross as long as there is Katahdin in the mix.  I want to maintain the hybrid vigor and worm resistance in the offspring.

On another note, I’ve started spring planting in earnest this past weekend and planted out one tunnel:  several hundred feet of spinach, over a thousand onions (so far), some arugula, and the first sowing of snow peas.  Other items to plant very soon include:  Kale, Romaine lettuce, beets, shallots, leeks, parsnips, and more snow peas.  As you can tell, I have my hands full right now.

Onion Planting Time!

After a long, exhausting winter, the snow and cold finally let up enough for me to start planting the onions.  Four varieties:  white, red, Stuttgarter (yellow keepers), and Walla Walla.  I started the first of the sets on Sunday March 16th in time for my St. Patrick’s Day start date.  Only have 600 in so far.  You know, one thing leads to another and you get sidetracked.  I hope to plant the remaining sets and plants by this weekend, bringing the total to around 1,100.  I have two low tunnels set up and almost ready to plant….way behind my Feb 14th start date.  Dang ice and snow!  The first market day will be May 17th so the clock is ticking.  The little orphan lamb is doing very, very well and is almost ready to go out to a separate pen with the other sheep.

A friend gave me a rooster on St. Patrick’s Day to replace the one the coyotes got.  He’s a beaut!  Now, let’s hope at least one of the hens goes broody and hatches a clutch so we’ll have some chicken for the freezer this summer.

Cold weather makes a return

The temperature this morning was a whopping 5 degrees. Fed and watered the critters rather quickly. It’s almost time to start planting onion sets. I’m planning on starting this Saturday the 15th. I’m also going to start getting the tunnels into shape and start planting spinach. The first market day will be May 17th. Two months will go quickly! The little orphan ewe is doing very well and follows me when I go out to do the morning and evening chores. Here’s a recent photo of the lamb. The next round of lambs will probably arrive between March 15th and April 1st. At least, that’s my best guess.

Ram lamb doing well

The little ram lamb, freckles’ brother, is doing very well out there with his mama.  Check out his short video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idpa7lgV64Y

Little Orphan Ewe Lamb

After being rejected by her mama, I became a foster “dad”.  Had to begin bottle feeding the little ewe lamb re-named, “freckles”.  Two days after she was born, she improved dramatically.  Here’s a link to a short video clip of me taking her out for a walk in the upper paddock yesterday evening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14gEHxwNy9M