Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

Both of us are pretty much done for the day. Today reminded us why we originally got our numbers down but we both enjoyed handling more sheep and we team so well that raising the number is no big deal. So our numbers are probably going to be double what they were last year since we both still love doing this. We did have 4 losses this time due to the usual oddities but we wound up with 50 lambs from 26 ewes.

The newly weaned ram lambs finally decided that they were not getting milk tonight so they bedded down. The Mom's were evidently ready to be done with lambs so the didn't fuss much after an hour or so after the lambs moved out.

 

[Baymule]

I’ll be weaning rams the first of June. I have 15 of the little stinkers. The last ones born are several weeks behind the others. Going to wether them for the freezer. Then I won’t be in a rush to get them out of there.

 

[Ridgetop]

Today reminded us why we originally got our numbers down but we both enjoyed handling more sheep and we team so well that raising the number is no big deal. So our numbers are probably going to be double what they were last year since we both still love doing this.

We can all relate to your "cutting back" but to paraphrase the old song "breaking up is hard to do", so is cutting back! Particularly when you have a lot of lovely lambs that are finally starting to turn out exactly what you were breeding towards in the beginning!

With the nice ewes you are producing you will be able to sell breeding stock which s either registered or registerable.

 

[Mike CHS]

Oshi has gotten to be pretty predictable and seems to accept handling but I'm careful about keeping a hand on his nose as I approach him. He enjoys a back and ear scratch but I only do this when I'm standing next to Maisy while she eats. Oshi knows not to get in her space so he will come up and scratch the ground with his hoof to get me to come to him.

 

[Baymule]

Oshi has almost completed training you. You have come along nicely. ❤️

 

[Mike CHS]

All of the sheep are growing like weeds but there are too many. Out of all of the fecals we did, only Princess and Pixie needed worming. Princess was a bottle lamb from the time @Baymule was here and Pixie is her daughter. Both of them had triplets so there are no fouls in this case as far as their staying.

We both had medical appointments this morning and I wound up with an appointment for a couple of things I have going as well as my shoulder. I expect good things from the dermatologist but not much from the ortho doc but everything is good.

 

[Baymule]

Princess and Pixie having triplets gives them a pass. Triplets stresss their system and it’s understandable that they would have worms. Heck if I had triplets, I’d be wormy too. Two singles was enough for me!

That is fantastic worm check results. Y’all have worked hard, culled hard and bred the best of the best to be where you are now. Congratulations.

 

[Baymule]

I was reminded of you a few days ago. Y’all had bottle babies that spent a lot of time with the dogs. You told the story of the dogs racing away barking at danger, the bottle lambs ran with them and all the lambs chased them too.

My 3 bottle lambs love the dogs and will snuggle up to them. They are in with the ewes and lambs now and I take their bottles to them. Sentry was on duty when a friend came over. When he left, Sentry ran to chase the truck, on the inside of the fence of course. The 3 bottle lambs jumped to their tiny hooves and scrambled to run behind Sentry. My friend got a good laugh and so did I. So darn cute!

 

[Mike CHS]

I had a loose tooth for the last couple of months and it finally decided to shift to the point that it hurt to eat since it was lower than the others. I had a yearling ewe try to jump out of the chute several months ago and unfortunately, my face was right at the place where her head was when she tried to go airborne. I'm guessing that is where the tooth got fractured from the root but either way, it had to go.

I tried to pull it by hand but it wasn't coming so I had the Dentist finish it off and he got out the part up in the gums. This was another reminder that growing older is not for the faint of heart.

On a lighter note, the ram lambs that we separated took a total of three days to go from completely wild to begging for animal crackers. There is a couple of them that are real lookers so I'm going to watch them grow out.

 

[Baymule]

You know, maybe if you went to the dentist those months ago, your tooth maybe could have been bonded or fixed. Stubborn. So, did your tooth crack the ewe’s skull?? LOL

Animal crackers. Sheep crack cocaine. Anyone can buy animal crackers but yours are sprinkled with Mikes Magic Dust. 😃